Which statement correctly describes an exothermic reaction?

• A. It releases energy to the surroundings.
• B. It absorbs energy from the surroundings.
• C. It requires energy input from electricity.
• D. It results in no energy change.

Answer: (A)

Exothermic reactions release energy to the surroundings, usually as heat. This means energy flows out of the reacting system, so the surroundings get warmer and the reactants end up with lower energy than the products. The statement that describes energy leaving the system to the surroundings is the correct one. In contrast, if energy is absorbed from the surroundings, or if energy input is needed from electricity, or if there’s no net energy change, those describe endothermic or non-energy-changing scenarios, not exothermic.