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Correct Answer: endothermic reactions
the correct answer to the question is "endothermic reactions." these are the type of chemical reactions that absorb heat from their surroundings.
to understand why endothermic reactions can make their surroundings feel colder, it is essential to grasp how energy transfer works in a chemical reaction. in an endothermic reaction, the system (the chemicals involved in the reaction) requires energy to proceed. this energy is in the form of heat, which is absorbed from the surroundings. the absorption of heat is necessary for breaking the bonds of the reactants so that new bonds can be formed to produce the products.
this process can sometimes be counterintuitive because one might expect that absorbing energy would make the system hotter. however, since the energy (heat) is taken away from the surroundings, the immediate environment actually gets colder. for example, if a person is holding a beaker where an endothermic reaction is taking place, the reaction absorbs heat from the surrounding environment, which includes the heat from the person’s hands. as a result, the person feels a sensation of cold because the heat from their hands is being used to fuel the reaction.
in contrast, exothermic reactions release heat, adding energy to the surroundings and making them feel warmer. these reactions occur when the energy needed to break the bonds of the reactants is less than the energy released when new bonds are formed in the products. the excess energy is then expelled into the surroundings as heat.
understanding these two types of reactions is crucial in fields such as chemistry, environmental science, and engineering, where controlling the temperature of reactions is essential to safety and efficacy in industrial processes, laboratory settings, and even in everyday products like hand warmers and cold packs.
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