Chemical Reactions and Energy Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering chemical reaction components, equilibrium, activation energy, and thermodynamic properties based on lecture notes.

Chemical reaction

A process where starting substances called reactants change into new ending substances called products.

Reactants

The starting substances in a chemical reaction.

Products

The ending or new substances formed in a chemical reaction.

Direction of Arrow

Indicates that reactants change into products in a chemical equation.

Chemical equilibrium

A state in which the amounts of reactants and products remain stable over time.

Reversible reaction

A chemical reaction that goes forward and backward at the same time, indicated by a double arrow.

Conservation of mass

A law followed by all chemical reactions stating that no atoms are created or destroyed.

Bond energy

The chemical potential energy stored in chemical bonds.

Activation energy

The minimum amount of energy needed for reactant molecules to undergo a chemical reaction to be transformed into products.

Overall change in energy ($\Delta H$)

The difference between the energy level of the reactants and the energy level of the products.

Exothermic reaction

A reaction where the creation of bonds in products causes energy to be released (release heat).

Endothermic reaction

A reaction where the creation of bonds in products causes energy to be absorbed (absorb heat).