Exothermic Reactions

Definition

Exothermic reactions are chemical reactions that release heat into their surroundings due to breaking bonds in reactants being less than forming bonds in products.

Related terms

Endothermic Reactions:

These are chemical reactions that absorb heat from their surroundings, as forming bonds in products requires more energy than breaking bonds in reactants.

Activation Energy:

This is the minimum amount of energy required to start a chemical reaction.

Reaction Rate:

The speed at which reactants turn into products during a chemical reaction.