Thermite reaction, energy release

C04-0079. The following unbalanced reaction is called the thermite reaction. It releases tremendous amounts of energy and is sometimes used to generate heat for welding ... 

How much energy is released in the manufacture of 1.00 kg of iron by the thermite reaction mentioned in Problem 10 ... 

The considerable energy released by the mixture derives from chromate-catalysed exothermic decomposition of the nitro compound, coupled with a thermite-type reaction of the aluminium and chromate. It is useful for cracking concrete. 

There are other materials, whose reactions are rapid and release a lot of energy/ heat at the same time. However, the reactions do not generate gas productions. These materials are not explosives. Take thermite reaction as an example,... 

In every chemical reaction, heat is absorbed or released as reactants are converted to products. The heat of reaction is the difference between the energy of the reactants and the energy of the products. In an exothermic reaction exo means out ), the energy of the products is lower than the energy of the reactants. Thus, heat is released in exothermic reactions. For example, in the thermite reaction, the reaction of aluminum and iron(III) oxide produces so much heat that temperatures of 2500 °C can be reached. The thermite reaction has been used to cut or weld railroad tracks. In the equation for an exothermic reaction, the heat of reaction is written on the same side as the products. 

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