Which of the following best explains why cooking is considered an endothermic process?

• A. Cooking involves only physical changes, so no energy is transferred.
• B. Heat is released to the surroundings as new chemical bonds form in the food.
• C. Cooking is exothermic because it increases the temperature of the food.
• D. Heat is absorbed from the surroundings to break chemical bonds in the food.

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the definition of an endothermic process: it is a process that absorbs heat from the surroundings.
2. Recognize that cooking involves chemical changes where bonds in the food molecules are broken and new bonds may form.
3. Recall that breaking chemical bonds requires energy input, meaning heat must be absorbed to break these bonds.
4. Contrast this with exothermic processes, which release heat when new bonds form and energy is given off to the surroundings.
5. Conclude that cooking is endothermic because it requires heat absorption to break bonds, not heat release, making the correct explanation that heat is absorbed from the surroundings.