Energy Diagrams

Energy Diagrams chart potential energy of chemicals as they become products.
- Reactants start with a certain amount of energy that is added to start the reaction which is then either released or absorbed as the reaction proceeds.
- The amounts of energy determine whether the reaction will be exothermic or endothermic

Here is a Exothermic Reaction Diagram:

1) Energy of Activated Complex - Potential energy of "transition state" between reactants and products
2) Activation Energy - Energy that must be added to get the reaction to progress
3) DeltaH - Change in potential energy during reaction = Energy of Products - Energy of Reactants
~ positive change in enthalpy (H)  is an endothermic reaction, while a negative change is exothermic


Here is a Endothermic Reaction Diagram:

Here's a video for a bit more clarity: