Multiple Choice
Which type of reaction is indicated when a fire flares up upon the addition of water?
22
views
8. Thermochemistry
Endothermic & Exothermic Reactions
Struggling with General Chemistry?
Join thousands of students who trust us to help them ace their exams!Watch the first videoMultiple Choice
During an endothermic reaction, what typically happens to the temperature of the surroundings?
A
The temperature of the system increases.
B
The temperature of the surroundings remains unchanged.
C
The temperature of the surroundings increases.
D
The temperature of the surroundings decreases.
Verified step by step guidance1
Understand the difference between the system and the surroundings in a chemical reaction. The system is the part of the universe where the reaction occurs, and the surroundings are everything else around it.
Recall that an endothermic reaction absorbs heat from the surroundings into the system. This means the system gains energy in the form of heat.
Since heat is absorbed by the system, the surroundings lose heat energy. Losing heat causes the temperature of the surroundings to decrease.
Therefore, during an endothermic reaction, the temperature of the surroundings typically decreases because heat flows from the surroundings into the system.
This explains why the correct answer is: 'The temperature of the surroundings decreases.'
2:30mWatch next
Master Endothermic & Exothermic Reactions with a bite sized video explanation from Jules
Start learningRelated Videos
Related Practice
Endothermic & Exothermic Reactions practice set
Problem sets built by lead tutorsExpert video explanations