Exam Tips for Exothermic Reactions
Part of Exothermic Reactions — GCSE Chemistry
This exam tips covers Exam Tips for Exothermic Reactions within Exothermic Reactions for GCSE Chemistry. Revise Exothermic Reactions in Energy Changes for GCSE Chemistry with 20 exam-style questions and 14 flashcards. This topic appears regularly enough that it should still be part of a steady revision cycle. It is section 11 of 12 in this topic. Treat this as a marking guide for what examiners are looking for, not just a fact list.
Topic position
Section 11 of 12
Practice
20 questions
Recall
14 flashcards
💡 Exam Tips for Exothermic Reactions
🎯 Common Question Types:
- "Explain why this reaction is exothermic" (2 marks — temperature rises, energy transferred to surroundings)
- "Draw an energy profile for an exothermic reaction" (2-3 marks)
- "Give two examples of exothermic reactions" (2 marks)
- "What is the sign of ΔH for an exothermic reaction?" (1 mark)
📝 Key Command Words:
- Explain — state the energy direction (from chemicals to surroundings) and its effect (temperature rises)
- Draw/sketch — label axes, reactants, products, peak (activation energy), and ΔH arrow
- State/give — a simple factual answer with no detailed explanation needed
⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid:
- Saying "exothermic creates energy" — energy is TRANSFERRED, not created
- Drawing the energy profile with products ABOVE reactants (that's endothermic!)
- Forgetting to label axes on energy profiles (easy marks lost)
- Using positive ΔH for exothermic — exothermic ΔH is always NEGATIVE
Quick Check: A student mixes two solutions and the temperature rises by 12°C. Is this reaction exothermic or endothermic? Explain your answer.
The reaction is exothermic. The temperature RISING means energy is being transferred from the reacting chemicals to the surroundings (the solution and container). This means the products have less energy than the reactants, and the ΔH value will be negative.