endothermic reaction
Consumes thermal energy
An endothermic reaction absorbs heat from its surroundings rather than releasing it.
The reaction requires energy input to proceed, making the environment feel cooler: Ice packs use endothermic reactions to draw heat away from injuries.
Photosynthesis is endothermic—plants absorb light energy to convert carbon dioxide and water into sugar.
Contrast with exothermic.
- ice packsChilled therapeutic pouches
- meltingSolid-to-liquid transition
- enthalpyThermodynamic total heat quantity
- entropyQuantified chaos in systems
- photosynthesisLight-to-sugar conversion in plants
evaporation · citric acid · activation energy · dissolution · sublimation · calorimetry · ammonium nitrate · heat capacity · reactants · products · phase transition · temperature drop · thermal equilibrium · absorption · specific heat · dissolve · baking soda · breaking
- chemical reactionscondensation, combustion, oxidation, hydrolysis, oxidation-reduction
- thermodynamicsentropy, enthalpy, heat transfer, free energy, heat capacity
- thermal analysisDMA, thermogram, calorimetry, heat flow, endothermic
- coolingair conditioning, refrigeration, air cooler, heat sink, evaporator
- heatheat transfer, thermal energy, heatwave, radiation, convection
- Heat conceptsmelting, evaporation, conduction, convection, boiling
endothermic reactionexothermic reaction
Process releasing thermal energy
exothermic · combustion · burning · explosion · respiration