A chemical reaction will release energy if it is classified as?

A chemical reaction that releases energy is classified as exergonic. In exergonic reactions, the overall energy of the products is lower than that of the reactants, leading to a release of energy often in the form of heat or light. This energy release occurs because the bonds formed in the products are more stable than those in the reactants, and the difference in energy is released into the surroundings.

In contrast, endergonic reactions absorb energy from the surroundings and require an input of energy to proceed. The other options, equilibrium, refers to the state where the rate of the forward reaction equals the rate of the reverse reaction, resulting in no net change, and activation pertains to the energy required to initiate a reaction, not the energy released. Thus, understanding these classifications helps to differentiate between energy-releasing and energy-absorbing processes in biochemical reactions.