A substance is dissolved in water, and the temperature of the surroundings decreases. Is this process exothermic or endothermic? Explain your reasoning in 3-5 sentences.
This process is endothermic. When a substance dissolves in water, it absorbs energy from the surroundings to break the intermolecular forces between the solute particles and form new bonds with the water molecules. This absorption of energy from the surroundings lowers the temperature of the surroundings, indicating that heat is being absorbed. Therefore, the dissolution of the substance in water is an endothermic process. Endothermic processes require an input of energy and typically result in a decrease in temperature.
To determine whether the process of dissolving a substance in water is exothermic or endothermic, you need to consider the change in temperature of the surroundings. If the surroundings' temperature decreases, it indicates that the system has absorbed heat from the surroundings, making it endothermic.
In the case of dissolving a substance in water, when the substance interacts with water molecules, it breaks down the intermolecular forces between water molecules to make space for the substance's molecules. This requires an input of energy, which is taken from the surroundings and leads to a decrease in temperature. Therefore, the process of dissolving a substance in water is endothermic when the temperature of the surroundings decreases.