Energy-rich species

High school (ages 12+)
Science & Technology

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/energy-rich-species

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the standard gibbs free energy of hydrolysis for ATP?ΔG°' = -30.5 kJ/mol, indicating significant energy release upon reaction with water
2. What is the primary biological energy transfer molecule?ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate) is central to cellular energy metabolism
3. Why does ATP give energy to cells?ATP has high-energy bonds that break when it reacts with water, making ADP and phosphate, and this reaction releases energy that cells use for work like moving muscles or sending signals.
4. How do fuels like gasoline release energy?Fuels burn with oxygen, breaking C‑H and C‑C bonds and forming stronger C=O and O‑H bonds in CO₂ and H₂O, which releases heat that powers engines and lights.

Gibbs Free Energy: A thermodynamic potential that measures the maximum reversible work obtainable from a system at constant temperature and pressure.
Exothermic Reaction: A chemical reaction that releases energy, typically in the form of heat, light, or sound.
Metastable Species: A chemical species that exists in a state of relatively high energy and is prone to spontaneous transformation into a more stable form.