Which of the following processes would release energy?

Question

Which of the following processes would release energy?

Question 4 options:

a	An endergonic reaction
b	A reaction with a negative ΔG
c	Moving from low concentration to high
d	Synthesis of ATP from ADP

Answer 1

Let's break this down into how the choices are either right or wrong.

We want the choice that releases energy!

A) Endergonic reaction require energy to create products...so that can't be right

B) A reaction with negative free energy means that energy was spent to produce the product. The product has less free energy than the initial components. Soooo if we are going from high energy to low energy, energy had to be released in the process... also called exergonic reactions. That sounds like a release of energy to me. To further back up this assumption lets look at the equation for gibbs and play with the equation to prove it.

delta G = delta H - T * delta S

G = Gibbs free energy, H = enthalpy (the change in heat at constant pressure), T = Temperature and S = entropy

Let's create a scenario of giving off energy such as giving off heat. If we have negative delta H that means we are losing heat and start with delta H = -1 . Let us make T * delta S = 1 for the sake of demonstration. so delta G = -1 - 1 which equals -2. Let us give off more heat so let us set delta H = -5 . Now delta G = -5 -1 which equals -6. So the more heat we are giving off the more negative our Gibbs free energy becomes. Ok so we should be fully convinced that negative Gibbs can imply an exothermic reaction and gives off energy!

C) moving from low concentration to higher concentration will either require no energy like in osmosis or require energy such as when proteins in the body moves ions forcibly to regions of higher concentration. That work requires energy. So in either situation we are not releasing energy.

D) Synthesizing ATP from ADP requires energy. ATP is an energy storing molecule. It would seem counterintuitive if creating a molecule that is meant to store energy is at the same time releasing energy. So I don't think this is it either.

Correct answer is B

Answer 2

The process cellular respiration releases energy in the form of adenosine triphosphate (ATP).