The activated complex forms while the reactant bonds break and the product bonds form. How long does it last?

1. The activated complex is also called the transition state of the reaction. 2. It exists at the moment when the reactant bonds are breaking and the product bonds are forming. 3. That moment is the point where the energy of the system reaches its maximum. 4. A system does not sit at an energy maximum, so the complex cannot last. 5. It exists for a very short period of time and then either reforms the reactants or completes the products. 6. Treating it as a stable substance that lasts through the reaction is the trap this question sets. _Source: Siyavula Physical Sciences Grade 11 (Everything Science, CC BY 4.0), Chapter 12: Energy and chemical change_