In this deck, you'll explore energy changes in chemical reactions. All reactions involve an energy change, and we can classify them based on whether they release energy or take it in. You'll learn the key terms 'exothermic' and 'endothermic', how to represent these changes on diagrams called reaction profiles, and how to explain them in terms of breaking and making chemical bonds.

Let's start with exothermic reactions. The prefix 'exo' means 'out', like in 'exit'. An exothermic reaction is one that transfers energy to the surroundings, usually as heat. This means the temperature of the surroundings increases. Think of a bonfire or a hand warmer – they both give out heat because of exothermic reactions.