Interesting Question

[Over9000]

Another question, why is it that when you light a match, you start a combustion reaction (it provides the activation energy), yet even when the match burns out, the reaction continues?

[TrueTears]

Okay I totally get it now (thanks to kamil)

is the GAIN (for exo reaction) in energy of the surroundings.

The wording on pg 248 is perfectly correct just depends on how you interpret it.

[TrueTears]

Another question, why is it that when you light a match, you start a combustion reaction (it provides the activation energy), yet even when the match burns out, the reaction continues?

The reaction continues until it reaches equilibrium.

It's like saying if you light a fire, the flame you start off to light the twigs provides the activational energy, does the fire just stop when you take away the flame? No, the reaction proceeds.

[Over9000]

Another question, why is it that when you light a match, you start a combustion reaction (it provides the activation energy), yet even when the match burns out, the reaction continues?

The reaction continues until it reaches equilibrium.

It's like saying if you light a fire, the flame you start off to light the twigs provides the activational energy, does the fire just stop when you take away the flame? No, the reaction proceeds.

So the match provides the activation energy to break the bonds at the start, but where does the energy come from to break the bonds that need to be broken after?

[TrueTears]

Another question, why is it that when you light a match, you start a combustion reaction (it provides the activation energy), yet even when the match burns out, the reaction continues?

The reaction continues until it reaches equilibrium.

It's like saying if you light a fire, the flame you start off to light the twigs provides the activational energy, does the fire just stop when you take away the flame? No, the reaction proceeds.

So the match provides the activation energy to break the bonds at the start, but where does the energy come from to break the bonds that need to be broken after?

You already broke the bonds, what more bonds do you want to break?

[Over9000]

Another question, why is it that when you light a match, you start a combustion reaction (it provides the activation energy), yet even when the match burns out, the reaction continues?

The reaction continues until it reaches equilibrium.

It's like saying if you light a fire, the flame you start off to light the twigs provides the activational energy, does the fire just stop when you take away the flame? No, the reaction proceeds.

So the match provides the activation energy to break the bonds at the start, but where does the energy come from to break the bonds that need to be broken after?

You already broke the bonds, what more bonds do you want to break?

Oh, I see

[chem-nerd]

Think of a bunsen burner example.

You initially have to provide the activation energy - lighting the match to start the combustion reaction. The heat released from this combustion reaction is greater than the activation energy and so allows the bunsen burner to continue burning fuel without having to continuously apply external energy.