3D Exergonic and Endergonic Reactions Simulation

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Exergonic reactions have ΔG < 0; endergonic reactions have ΔG > 0.

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Energy Reactions 3D

Reaction landscapes

Mission: compare a downhill exergonic pathway with an uphill endergonic pathway.

Free-energy controls

Reactant free energy80 kJ/mol

Product free energy30 kJ/mol

Activation barrier55 kJ/mol

Energy supplied0 kJ/mol

Catalyst

ΔG = G(products) − G(reactants) · ΔG < 0 exergonic · ΔG > 0 endergonic

Simulation

Simulation speed1.00×

Camera and focus

Live changes

Reaction typeExergonicΔG−50 kJ/molEffective Eₐ55 kJ/molProgress0%Net coupled ΔG—Focused objectNone

Teacher tools

Teacher-led visual lesson

LanguageNarrator

Lesson speed1.00×

Ready. Embedded narration audio plays through the tab and uses no microphone.

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Watch one reaction roll downhill while another climbs uphill.

Chapters

Learning objectives

Use the sign of ΔG to classify reactions.
Separate thermodynamic favorability from reaction rate.
Explain how catalysts lower activation energy.
Show how exergonic reactions drive endergonic ones.
Predict outcomes from energy diagrams.

Core ideas

Free-energy change: ΔG = G(products) − G(reactants).

An exergonic reaction has ΔG below zero and can proceed thermodynamically downhill. An endergonic reaction has ΔG above zero and requires coupling or energy input.

Activation energy is the hill that must be crossed. Catalysts lower this hill but do not change the starting energy, ending energy or ΔG.

Try these experiments

Reverse reactant and product energy values.
Lower activation energy with the enzyme.
Remove the energy packet from an endergonic pathway.
Compare separate ΔG values with the net coupled ΔG.

Common misconception

Exergonic does not mean instantly fast. A reaction can have negative ΔG yet remain slow when its activation barrier is high.

Seven-question quiz

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