A substance is dissolved in water, and the temperature of the surrounding decreases is the process exothermic or endothermic? Explain your reasoning in 3-5 sentences
If the temperature of the surroundings decreases when a substance is dissolved in water, it indicates that the process is exothermic. This is because exothermic reactions release energy in the form of heat. When a substance is dissolved in water, the bonds between its molecules are broken, and new bonds are formed between the solute and the solvent. If the resulting formation of bonds releases more energy than is required to break the initial bonds, the process is exothermic, leading to a decrease in the temperature of the surroundings.
In order to determine whether the process is exothermic or endothermic, we need to understand the concept of enthalpy change. When a substance dissolves in water, energy is either released or absorbed. If the temperature of the surrounding decreases, it indicates that energy is being absorbed from the surroundings, leading to a decrease in temperature. This means that the dissolution is an endothermic process because energy is required to break the existing bonds between the solute particles and water molecules and form new interactions.
