Which of the following is an exothermic reaction?

sugar dissolving in water <<my choice
an explosion
tea dissolving in water
the cooling of an ice pack

No.

http://antoine.frostburg.edu/chem/senese/101/thermo/faq/exothermic-endothermic-examples.shtml

Well exothermic means releasing energy/heat so what do you think?

To determine which of the reactions mentioned is exothermic, we need to understand the concept of exothermic reactions and their characteristics.

Exothermic reactions release energy in the form of heat to the surroundings. In other words, during an exothermic reaction, the energy of the products is lower than the energy of the reactants, resulting in the release of heat.

Now, let's consider the options presented:

1. Sugar dissolving in water:
This reaction is an example of an endothermic reaction rather than an exothermic reaction. When sugar dissolves in water, it absorbs heat from the surroundings, making it a process that requires energy input.

2. An explosion:
Explosions are typically exothermic reactions. They release a significant amount of energy in the form of heat and light when a rapid chemical reaction occurs, resulting in a violent expansion of gases.

3. Tea dissolving in water:
Similar to sugar dissolving in water, this process also requires heat energy input. It is an endothermic reaction because the dissolution of tea in water absorbs heat from the surroundings.

4. The cooling of an ice pack:
During the cooling of an ice pack, heat is absorbed from the surroundings, resulting in a decrease in temperature. This indicates that it is an endothermic reaction. The ice pack absorbs heat to melt, causing a cooling effect.

Based on the information above, the exothermic reaction among the options given is "an explosion." It releases a large amount of heat energy during the rapid chemical reaction.