Reaction Profiles

Reaction profiles are energy diagrams that show the relative energies of reactants and products during a chemical reaction. They are a key part of the AQA GCSE Chemistry specification and help you visualise whether a reaction is exothermic or endothermic, as well as understanding the role of activation energy.

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What Is a Reaction Profile?

A reaction profile (also called an energy level diagram) is a graph that shows the energy levels of the reactants and products during a reaction, plotted against the progress of the reaction.

• The y-axis shows energy.
• The x-axis shows the progress of the reaction (from reactants on the left to products on the right).

The difference in height between the reactants and products on the diagram tells you the overall energy change of the reaction.