For another elementary reaction, experimental measurements provide the following energetic information:
• The activation energy for the forward reaction is 80 kJ mol−1.
• The overall energy change for the reaction is −25 kJ mol−1 (products lower in energy than reactants).
Answer the questions below. Assume all energies are measured relative to the reactants, whose potential energy is defined as the zero point.
(a) Determine the potential energy of the transition state relative to the reactants.
(b) Calculate the potential energy of the products relative to the reactants.
(c) Using your answers from parts (a) and (b), compute the activation energy for the reverse reaction and state whether the reverse reaction is expected to be faster or slower than the forward reaction at the same temperature, explaining your reasoning qualitatively.