How is the energy released by ATP hydrolysis used to power other reactions in a cell?

Energy is released by ATP hydrolysis through reaction coupling. During energy coupling, an energetically favorable reaction (e.g. ATP hydrolysis) is directly joined with an energetically unfavorable reaction (e.g. endergonic reaction). The linking between the two reactions typically happens through a shared intermediate. A shared intermediate means that the product of one reaction is chosen and used as a reactant in the second reaction. When two reactions become coupled, they may be added together to create an overall reaction, and the change in free energy (∆G) will be the sum of the ∆G values of the separate reactions. If the overall change in free energy is negative, both reactions can occur. This includes even highly endergonic reactions if paired with a highly exergonic one. When a coupling reaction utilizes ATP, the shared intermediate is typically a phosphorylated molecule.