Two aqueous solutions are both at room temperature and are then mixed in a coffee cup calorimeter.The reaction causes the temperature of the resulting solution to fall below room temperature.Which of the following statements is TRUE? A) The products have a lower potential energy than the reactants. B) This type of experiment will provide data to calculate ΔE_rxn. C) The reaction is exothermic. D) Energy is leaving the system during reaction. E) None of the above statements is true.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

When the temperature of the resulting solution falls below room temperature upon mixing two aqueous solutions, it indicates that the reaction is endothermic, not exothermic. In an endothermic reaction, energy is absorbed from the surroundings into the system, which is contrary to statement D, and the products would have higher potential energy than the reactants, contradicting statement A. Statement B is incorrect because it seems to refer to a specific formula in a garbled manner and does not directly relate to the observation. Statement C is incorrect because an exothermic reaction would increase the temperature of the solution, not decrease it.

Two Aqueous Solutions Are Both at Room Temperature and Are