An exothermic reaction releases energy into the
environment. Some examples of these are:
- The
combustion of carbon to form carbon dioxide. Heat is released in the
process. - Solidification of a liquid releases heat. This
is one of the reasons why water does not get converted to ice spontaneously; the heat
that is released has to be eliminated for the reaction to proceed. This is what happens
in a refrigerator.
An endothermic reaction
absorbs heat from the environment. Some examples of these
are:
- The evaporation of a liquid is an
endothermic reaction. If you place some alcohol on hand and let it evaporate you will
find your hand feels cold. - Photosynthesis is an
endothermic reaction which requires energy that is obtained from
sunlight.
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