An endothermic process is one that needs to have energy added in order to take place. A simple example of an endothermic process is the melting of ice, because ice doesn’t melt unless you put energy into it.
This is also the case with other . If we want to boil water, we need to heat it up by pumping energy into it, and then once it boils we need to continue pumping energy into it until it has all turned to steam.
Aside from phase changes, the following processes are endothermic (i.e. need energy to occur):
- Cooking a steak
- Heating a squirrel
- Making a light bulb glow
Some general words about :
In fancy mathematical terms, we would say that endothermic processes have a positive ∆H value. This is because the amount of energy that the system has after undergoing the process has increased because energy was added to make it happen.
In terms that we see every day, endothermic processes are the ones that feel cold when we perform them. That’s because these processes are sucking energy out of us when we perform them, making us feel cold.
OK.
