Which statement accurately characterizes an exergonic reaction?

Core Concept

Exergonic reactions finish with products holding less free energy than the reactants they came from, so the surplus flows outward as work or heat. Cellular respiration is a flagship example, extracting chemical energy from glucose in many small downhill steps. Spontaneity refers to thermodynamic favorability, not speed, since a sizable activation barrier can still make the process slow without enzymes.