Energy ChangesComparison

Exothermic vs Endothermic Reaction Profiles

Part of Reaction ProfilesGCSE Chemistry

This comparison covers Exothermic vs Endothermic Reaction Profiles within Reaction Profiles for GCSE Chemistry. Revise Reaction Profiles in Energy Changes for GCSE Chemistry with 28 exam-style questions and 15 flashcards. This is a high-frequency topic, so it is worth revising until the explanation feels precise and repeatable. It is section 6 of 13 in this topic. Use this comparison to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.

Topic position

Section 6 of 13

Practice

28 questions

Recall

15 flashcards

⚖️ Exothermic vs Endothermic Reaction Profiles

Feature Exothermic Endothermic
Products vs Reactants Products LOWER Products HIGHER
ΔH sign Negative (−) Positive (+)
Temperature change Surroundings get HOTTER Surroundings get COLDER
Energy transfer direction Reaction → Surroundings Surroundings → Reaction
Effect of catalyst Lower peak, same ΔH Lower peak, same ΔH

Keep building this topic

Read this section alongside the surrounding pages in Reaction Profiles. That gives you the full topic sequence instead of a single isolated revision point.

Practice Questions for Reaction Profiles

What does activation energy represent on a reaction profile?

  • A. The minimum energy particles need to react
  • B. The total energy released during the reaction
  • C. The energy stored in the reactants
  • D. The difference in energy between products and reactants
1 markfoundation

Explain how a catalyst affects the activation energy shown on a reaction profile. [2 marks]

2 marksstandard

Quick Recall Flashcards

What does the y-axis show on a reaction profile?
Energy
What is activation energy?
The minimum energy particles need to react when they collide

Want to test your knowledge?

PrepWise has 28 exam-style questions and 15 flashcards for Reaction Profiles — with adaptive difficulty and instant feedback.

Join Alpha