Solution

ID: past-exam-of-the-chemistry-course-of-the-year-1-of-the-natural-sciences-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2022/paper-1/5/b/i/solution

The forward and reverse pathways pass through the same transition state. Measured from the cis minimum, the forward barrier is ; measured from the trans minimum, the reverse barrier is . Since , the trans minimum lies below the cis minimum in the elementary energy-profile model:
The absolute barrier heights cannot be deduced from their difference. The following original profile uses an arbitrary transition-state height and labels that distinction explicitly.
Figure 1.
Original elementary energy profile with trans below cis and the reverse barrier larger by 2.23 kJ per mole
. Details.

New to topics? Read the docs here!