How does activation energy relate to the overall classification of a reaction as endothermic or exothermic?
Answer
Activation energy is the initial required input to start bond breaking, whereas $\Delta H$ defines the net energy balance after the entire rearrangement.
Activation energy is the initial barrier needed to get any reaction started, even exothermic ones; the overall classification (endothermic/exothermic) is determined only by the net difference between total energy input and total energy output.
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