Exothermic

Not to be confused with Ectothermic.

Explosions are some of the most violent exothermic reactions.

In thermodynamics, the term exothermic ("outside heating") describes a process or reaction that releases energy from the system, usually in the form of heat, but also in the form of light (e.g. a spark, flame, or explosion), electricity (e.g. a battery), or sound (e.g. burning hydrogen). Its etymology stems from the prefix exo (derived from the Greek word ἔξω, exō, "outside") and the Greek word thermasi (meaning "to heat"). The term exothermic was first coined by Marcellin Berthelot. The opposite of an exothermic process is an endothermic process, one that absorbs energy in the form of heat.

The concept is frequently applied in the physical sciences to chemical reactions, where chemical bond energy is converted to thermal energy (heat).

Overview

Exothermic refers to a transformation in which a system releases energy (heat) to the surroundings:

Q < 0

When the transformation occurs at constant pressure:

∆H < 0

and constant volume:

∆U < 0

In an adiabatic system (e.g. a system that does not give off heat to the surroundings), an exothermic process results in an increase in temperature.

In chemical reactions, the heat that is absorbed is in the form of electromagnetic energy. The loss of kinetic energy via reacting electrons causes light to be released. This light is equivalent in energy to the stabilization energy of the energy for the chemical reaction, i.e. the bond energy. This light that is released can be absorbed by other molecules in solution to give rise to molecular vibrations or rotations, which gives rise to the classical understanding of heat. In contrast, when endothermic reactions occur, energy is absorbed to place an electron in a higher energy state, such that the electron can associate with another atom to form another chemical complex. The loss of energy within solution is absorbed by the endothermic reaction and therefore is a loss of heat. This is the physical understanding of exothermic and endothermic reactions within solution. Therefore in an exothermic reaction the energy needed for the reaction to occur is less than the total energy released.

Examples

An exothermic thermite reaction using iron(III) oxide. The sparks flying outwards are globules of molten iron trailing smoke in their wake.

Some examples of exothermic processes are:

• Condensation of rain from water vapor
• Combustion of fuels such as wood, coal and oil petroleum
• Mixing water and strong acids
• Mixing alkalis and acids
• The setting of cement and concrete
• Some polymerisation reactions such as the setting of epoxy resin
• Thermite reaction

Implications for chemical reactions

Main article: exothermic reaction

Chemical exothermic reactions are generally more spontaneous than their counterparts, endothermic reactions. In a thermochemical reaction that is exothermic, the heat may be listed among the products of the reaction.

Contrast between thermodynamic and biological terminology

Note that because of historical accident, students encounter a source of possible confusion between the terminology of physics and biology. Whereas the thermodynamic terms "exothermic" and "endothermic" respectively refer to processes that give out heat energy and processes that absorb heat energy, in biology the sense is effectively inverted. The metabolic terms "ectothermic" and "endothermic" respectively refer to organisms that rely largely on external heat to achieve a full working temperature, and to organisms that produce heat from within as a major factor in controlling their bodily temperature.

See also

• Calorimetry
• Chemical thermodynamics
• Differential scanning calorimetry
• Endergonic
• Endergonic reaction
• Exergonic
• Exergonic reaction
• Endothermic reaction

External links

• http://chemistry.about.com/b/a/184556.htm Observe exothermic reactions in a simple experiment