AQA GCSE Chemistry Paper 2 Practice Exam 2025 – All-in-One Guide to Master Your Chemistry Exam Success!

In an exothermic reaction, heat is released as a product. According to Le Chatelier's Principle, if the temperature of a system at equilibrium is increased, the system will respond by shifting the equilibrium position to counteract this change. Specifically, it will favor the endothermic direction, which in the case of an exothermic response means shifting towards the reactants.

Thus, when the temperature is increased, the position of equilibrium shifts to favor the reactants, leading to a decrease in the relative amount of products compared to the reactants. This aligns with the understanding that an increase in temperature disrupts the exothermic process, favoring the consumption of heat, which results in the reduction of products formed.

So, when considering the behavior of the system at elevated temperatures in an exothermic reaction, the correct interpretation is that the relative amount of products decreases, as the equilibrium shifts to compensate for the increase in temperature.