How does the energy needed to overcome the energy barrier compare with the overall change in energy for this reaction? how does the energy needed to overcome the energy barrier compare with the overall change in energy for this reaction? the magnitude of energy needed to overcome the energy barrier is greater than the magnitude of the energy change in the reaction. the magnitude of energy needed to overcome the energy barrier is lower than the magnitude of the energy change in the reaction. the magnitude of energy needed to overcome the energy barrier is about the same as the magnitude of the energy change in the reaction.