Question

Consider a reaction where the reactants are at room temperature, and the products feel colder than their

surroundings. What can you conclude about the reaction?
A. It is endothermic.
B. It is exothermic.
C. It does not have an activation energy.
D. It has increased entropy.

Answer 1

The reaction where products feel colder is an endothermic reaction because it absorbs heat from the surroundings, causing them to cool down.

Step-by-step explanation:

If the products of a reaction feel colder than their surroundings, we can conclude that the reaction is endothermic. In an endothermic reaction, heat is absorbed from the surroundings to allow the reactants to transform into products. Consequently, this causes the surroundings to feel cooler because heat is essentially being 'consumed' by the reaction. Endothermic reactions have the characteristic of requiring energy, making energy a reactant in the reaction. Thus, energy is being taken in rather than released.