Exothermic Reaction

Imagine roasting marshmallows over a fire on a chilly evening. The warmth you feel is the result of an exothermic reaction.

These reactions release energy, usually as heat or light. The word exothermic means giving off heat.

Think of a dazzling fireworks display. It is another example that lights up the night sky.

But how does this happen? In every chemical reaction, bonds in the reactants break, and new bonds form in the products.

In exothermic reactions, forming new bonds releases more energy than breaking old ones; the extra energy is released as heat or light.

Combustion reactions are ideal examples. When wood or fuel combines with oxygen, they release energy as heat and light. That’s why you feel the heat of a campfire or see the glow of a candle.

Even your water heater relies on this process. It burns natural gas, producing heat that warms the water flowing through the system.

We are surrounded by exothermic reactions, from the body’s respiration, which keeps you warm, to physical changes like water condensation, which releases heat.