If the total enthalpy of reactants and products is `H_(R) and H_(P)` respectively, then for exothermic reaction

Options

A. `H_(R) = H_(P)`
B. `H_(R) lt H_(P)`
C. `H_(R) gt H_(P)`
D. `H_(P) ge H_(R)`

Answer

To solve the problem regarding the enthalpy change in an exothermic reaction, we will follow these steps:

### Step 1: Understand the Definition of Enthalpy Change
The enthalpy change (ΔH) for a reaction is defined as the difference between the total enthalpy of the products (HP) and the total enthalpy of the reactants (HR). Mathematically, this is represented as:

\[ \Delta H = H_P - H_R \]

### Step 2: Identify the Nature of the Reaction
In an exothermic reaction, heat is released into the surroundings. This means that the enthalpy of the products is lower than that of the reactants. Therefore, for an exothermic reaction, ΔH is negative.

### Step 3: Set Up the Inequality for Exothermic Reactions
Since we established that ΔH is negative for exothermic reactions, we can set up the inequality:

\[ H_P - H_R < 0 \]

### Step 4: Rearrange the Inequality
Rearranging the inequality gives us:

\[ H_R > H_P \]

This indicates that the total enthalpy of the reactants (HR) is greater than that of the products (HP).

### Step 5: Conclusion
Thus, for an exothermic reaction, the correct statement is:

\[ H_R > H_P \]

### Final Answer
The correct option is that the total enthalpy of reactants (HR) is greater than the total enthalpy of products (HP).

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