Do all chemical reactions need energy to start them off?

Answer 1

Some reactions are called endothermic ("into-energy") meaning that they require excess energy in order to react. This will cause the reaction to feel cold. Other rections are exothermic ("out-energy"), meaning that they give off heat.

Reactions only occur when the environment around them contains enough energy (e.g. lighting a fire, cooking) to push them over what's called a reaction threshold. This is their "activation energy". It is different for every reaction. Many reactions that we call spontaneous are actually just reactions that have reached that threshold under normal conditions, which is 1 atmosphere of pressure and 75 degrees Fahrenheit. This is also called Standard Temperature and Pressure, or STP. If you lower the temperature or pressure, these reactions might stop or not occur at all. Other reactions occur at very low temperatures and pressures, and others occur at much higher ones. Every reaction has a temperature-pressure curve which shows under which conditions the reaction will occur.

Lastly, there is an effect called catalysis. This uses a material, often a metal, to artifically lower the reaction energy for the components. This happens by bringing the reactants together on the surface of the metal, where they naturally combine. Using catalysis means having to put less energy into a system for the reaction to occur. Catalysts are reusable and do not become part of the products. A good example of catalytics occurs in your own body: enzymes are special strings of proteins which catalyze certain reactions, such as breaking down food or transferring nutrients into and waste out of cells. In some cases, enzymes cause reactions in your body which would otherwise go so slowly that there's no way you could stay alive!

Answer 2

yes