Exothermic Reactions
Summary: Chemical reactions that release energy to the surroundings. Tags: concepts chemistry Created: 2026-05-03T00:00:00Z Last Updated: 2026-05-03T00:00:00Z
Content
Exothermic reactions release energy (usually heat and sometimes light) to the surroundings, causing the surroundings to feel warmer. More energy is released forming new bonds in products than was required to break bonds in reactants.
Examples:
- Combustion (burning fuels)
- Neutralization (acid + base)
- Respiration (in living cells)
Exothermic reactions are the basis for most energy generation through fuel combustion.