1. Topic
Exothermic and endothermic reactions
Level
GCSE (or any course for students aged 14-16)
Outcomes
To understand the terms exothermic and endothermic
To understand that breaking bonds requires energy and making bonds releases energy
| resources for science teachers who like to think

2. Where would the products go on this energy level diagram?
Energy (joules)
Reactants (Fuel + oxygen)
Progress of reaction

3. products fuel combustion exothermic heat energy enthalpy surroundings
The men in the picture are warming themselves by the fire. Can you use the words below to explain why burning wood releases energy.
products
fuel
combustion
exothermic
heat
energy
enthalpy
surroundings
reactants

4. The snow on the mountain is melting. Is this an endothermic process?
No, it must be exothermic because when we melt ice the temperature goes up.
You break bonds in exothermic reactions…
Yes, because energy is needed to break bonds between the water molecules.