Microbial Metabolism Practice Test

A negative ΔG means the reaction can proceed on its own because it lowers the system’s free energy. It is exergonic, releasing free energy that can do work, and it tends to be spontaneous under the given conditions. The larger the magnitude of the negative ΔG, the more energy is released as the reaction goes toward products. Note that spontaneity doesn’t guarantee a fast reaction—the kinetics could still be slow. If ΔG were zero, the system would be at equilibrium; if positive, the reaction would require energy input to proceed.