What does a higher activation energy indicate about a chemical reaction?

A higher activation energy indicates that a chemical reaction requires more energy to proceed. Activation energy is the minimum energy that reacting molecules must possess to undergo a successful collision that leads to the formation of products. When the activation energy is high, it implies that a greater amount of energy is needed to break the bonds of the reactants before new bonds can form in the products. This typically results in a slower reaction rate because fewer reactant particles have the necessary energy to surpass this energy barrier at a given temperature. Therefore, higher activation energy is directly associated with the requirement for additional energy to initiate the reaction, explaining why the correct answer is that the reaction requires more energy to proceed.