Endothermic and

exothermic
reactions
Teacher : Claudia De Candido
Tutor: Elena Monti
ITC “O.Mattiussi” 2005/06

1
 Menu

Exothermic and endothermic reactions.

Experiments: hot pack and cold pack.
Questions about observing and
comparing.
Energy level diagrams.
Quick test, crosswords, fill in the
blanks.

2
 Objectives

In this unit the students will:

identify endothermic or exothermic processes
through temperature changes;
learn about the energy level diagrams and the
difference in energy between products and
reactants;
understand the meaning of the ∆ E positive or
negative;
make predictions about reactions, known the
energy level diagrams or ∆ E.

3
 Skills

Knowledge of the new words and the new concepts.

Accurate explanation of energy level diagrams.
Prediction of behaviour through the acquainted
knowledge.

Grade Level : second classes - secondary school.

4
 Evaluation

During the lessons the students can evaluate

their understanding and their improvements
through activities single or in group.
Assessment:
fill in the blanks,
speaking (questions),
quick test,
matching exercise.

5
 Time

4 class periods 50 min. each.

6
 Suggestions

What the students need to do:

•Ask, ask, ask if you don’t understand.
•During the experiments follow instructions
carefully.
•Take notes and take part in the lessons.
•Practice and revise even when we don’t tell
you.

7
 Procedures
Before showing the menu and the objectives, performing some reactions and
give students a puzzle to discover the topic.
Perform some experiments using hot packs and cold packs. The students can
hold these systems in their hands to see and feel that the reaction takes place.
Introduce the concept of endo/exothermic processes showing slides.
Repeat the experiments with chemicals , measuring the temperature. The
students will make notes and answer the questions.
Ask the students to give examples of different kinds of exothermic processes
(combustion, explosions ) and endothermic processes (melting ice ,
photosynthesis).
Introduce the energy diagrams for both of reaction and discuss the energy of
reactants and products, the convention used to write the heat taken in and given
out.
Summarise all the features of these reactions.
Do exercises and gather the worksheets.

8
 Resources required

Hot pack and cold pack, ammonium

nitrate, calcium chloride, water.
Thermometer, beaker, stick.
Projector, computer, power point
presentation about exothermic and
endothermic reactions.

9
 Safety
Wear chemical splash goggles and
gloves to prepare the solutions.

10
Exo and endothermic
reactions
Exothermic reactions release heat
energy to the surroundings.
Endothermic reactions absorb heat
energy from the surroundings.

11
 What types of reactions?

Answer the questions below to complete the puzzle and discover how
the reactions that give off heat energy are called.
You may use the glossary for help.

1. _ _ _
2. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
3. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
4. _ _ _ _ _ _
5. _ _ _
6. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
7. _ _ _
8. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
9. _ _ _ _ _ _
10. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

1. Material source of energy

2. Violent reaction
3. Change of state liquid-solid
4. Becoming liquid
5. Energy that changes temperature
6. You can measure this with the thermometer
7. To be on fire
8. Reaction with oxygen, usually accompanied by a
release of energy
9. Bubbling up with heat
10.Change of state gas- liquid

The reactions that release heat energy are called :

___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
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Laboratory equipment

13
Answer the questions below to complete the puzzle and discover how the reactions that
give off heat energy are called.

1. FU E L
2. EX P LO S IO N
3. SO L I D I F I C A T I O N
4. ME L T I N G
5. H E AT
6. T E M PE R A T U R E
7. B UR N
8. C OM B U S T I O N
9. B O I LING
10. CONDENSATION

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Cold and hot packs

How do instant hot and cold packs

work?

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 Hot pack

Pressing the bottom , the diaphragm breaks.

Calcium chloride dissolves in water and warms
it.
The beverage gets warm.

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Exothermic process
Heat flows into the surroundings
from the system in an exothermic
process.
Surrounding
Energy
s

Hot pack

Temperature rises

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 Hot pack

We will repeat the process in a beaker

with calcium chloride ( 25 g CaCl2) +
water (25 ml) and a thermometer.
We will record the initial temperature of
the water and the temperature after the
dissolution of the salt.
Observation:
a temperature rise of…….

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 Cold pack

Water and ammonium nitrate are kept in

separate compartments.
Pressing the wrapper, the ammonium nitrate
dissolves in water and absorbs heat.
The pack becomes cold.

It is used to treat
sports injuries.

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Endothermic process
Heat flows into the system from the
surroundings in an endothermic
process. Surroundings

Cold Energy
pack

Temperature falls

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 Cold pack

We will repeat the process in a beaker

with ammonium nitrate ( 25 g NH4NO3)
+ water (25 ml) and a thermometer.
We will record the initial temperature of
the water and the temperature after the
dissolution of the salt.
Observation:
a temperature drop of…….

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 Students’ worksheet
Fill in the blanks
a.Fill in the gaps

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Complete the sentences below observing
your system and using the correct word.
The system is similar to ………………(hot /cold
pack)
The salt which dissolves in water is……………
The heat energy is ……………………..(given off/
taken in)
The temperature ………………. (falls/rises). In
fact the initial temperature was ……..and the final
temperature is……………
The reactions is …………………..
(endothermic/exothermic)

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b. Ask the questions below to the group in front of you (at least one
question a person) and write the answers.
What salt did you dissolve in water?
What does the temperature do?
Was the heat given off or taken in from the surroundings ?
Was the reaction endothermic or an exothermic?

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c.Fill in the gaps.

d. Complete the table finding the missing words.

System Salt Heat Temperature Reaction

CaCl 2 rises
Cold pack taken in endothermic

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 Question

What exothermic reactions or

endothermic reactions do you
know?

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Changes of state

Liquid Vapor
requires energy.
This is the reason:
a) you cool down after
swimming
+ energy
b) you use water to
put out a fire.

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Explosions
This reaction is exothermic!

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Photosyntesis
This reaction is endothermic!

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Combustions
These reactions are exothermic!

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Changes in physical
state

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Giving reasons
Why does the system give off or
take in heat energy?

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 Energy Level Diagrams
Endothermic reactions

energy products
energy taken in
reactants is positive

The products are

higher in energy time of reaction
than the reactants
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The products are higher in energy
than the reactants.
In this case making the bonds
gives you less energy than
breaking them.

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 Energy Level Diagrams
Exothermic reactions
Energy given out
energyreactants is negative

products

The products are

Time of reaction
lower in energy than 35
The products are lower in energy
than the reactants.
In this case making the bonds
gives you more energy than
breaking them.

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 Ca Cl2 (s) Ca Cl2 (aq)

Ca Cl2 (s)

Heat

∆ E <0
energy

Heat given off is negative

Ca Cl2 (aq)

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 CH 4 + 2O 2 → CO 2 + 2H 2 O + Heat

CH 4 + 2O 2

Heat
energy

∆ E = - 812 kJ/mol
Heat given off is negative

CO 2 + 2 H 2 O
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 NH4NO3 (s) NH4NO3 (aq)

NH4NO3 (aq)

He
energy

at
∆ E>0
Heat absorbed is positive
NH4NO3 (s)
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 N 2 + O 2 + heat → 2NO

2NO
He
energy

at
∆ E = + 68 kJ/mol
N 2 + O2 Heat absorbed is positive

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Exothermic reactions

The products have less energy

than the reactants.
The energy is given out to the
surroundings.
Ep - Er = ∆ E <O
The temperature goes up.

41
Endothermic reactions

The products have more energy

than the reactants.
The energy is taken in from
surroundings.
Ep - Er = ∆ E >O
The temperature goes down.

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 Direction energy
Every energy measurement has three
parts:
1. a unit ( Joules of calories);
2. a number how many;
3. a sign to tell direction (negative –
exothermic, positive- endothermic).

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 Crossword
Across
3. Able to burn
7. The electrical attractive force between the atoms
9. Substance that changes in a reaction
10. Specific part of the universe that is of interest in the study.
11. Ammonium nitrate and calcium chloride
12. The burning of fuels
13. The new substances in a reaction
Down
1. A reaction which absorbs energy
2. It increases in an exothermic reaction
4. A reaction which releases energy
5. Energy that is absorbed or released during a chemical
reaction
6. This is the main endothermic plant process in nature
8. Chemical change

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46
 Quick test
1. What sort of reaction takes in energy ?
2. When ammonium nitrate dissolves what sort of energy is taken in ?
3. Where does the energy come from ?
4. How do you measure the temperature ?
5. Draw an energy level diagram for an endothermic reaction and the
quantity of energy taken in.

6. What kind of reactions are burning fuels and explosions?

7. A reaction has ∆ E = - 45 kJ. Is it an exothermic or endothermic reaction ? Which substances

(reactants or products) have the highest energy ?
8. What kind of reaction does the diagram below represent?

reactants

Energy

products

time

9. Erase the incorrect word in this sentence:

In exothermic reactions the products have more /less energy than the reactants
10. Is energy absorbed (1) or released (2) in each of the following:
___A. Ice to liquid water
___B. Water vapor to rain
___C. Water to ice 47
Quick test
1. endothermic
2. heat energy
3. from the surroundings
4. with thermometer
5. (look at the diagram of an endothermic reaction)
6. exothermic
7. exothermic; reactants
8. exothermic
9. more
10. A 1; B 2; C 2

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Missing words
System Salt Heat Temperature Reaction
Hot pack CaCl2 is given off rises exothermic
Cold pack NH4NO3 is taken in falls endothermic

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 Energy changes

Chemical reactions can be divided into two types: those which cause a rise in
temperature and those which cause a fall in temperature.
We have a special name for these types of reactions:

exothermic reactions heat is given out the temperature increases

endothermic reactions heat is taken in the temperature decreases

Decide which reaction is exothermic or endothermic and if the temperature rises

or falls.

Reactions Exothermic/Endothermic Temperature of

the surroundings
rises/falls
Exploding bomb

Formation of snow

Evaporating water

Cooking food

Condensation of rain

Melting ice

Combustion of a candle

Nuclear fission

Baking bread

Photosynthesis

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 Energy level diagrams
Fill in the gaps. Use the words the Word Bank below.
Look at the energy level diagrams for help.

During a chemical reaction, old bonds are broken and new ……… are formed.
Energy must be supplied to break existing bonds and is ……….. when new bonds are formed.
In exothermic………., the energy released in bond formation is greater than the
energy used in ………….old bonds. It means that the…………. are at lower
energy than the reactants.
The difference in height represents the………….. given out (symbol ∆ –E = E
products - E reactants = negative ).
If the products contain more energy than the………….., heat is taken in from the
surroundings, the change is called endothermic and the difference in energy
is…………… (∆ E > O = E products – E reactants ). In an…………… reaction,
the energy required to break old bonds is greater than the energy released
when new bonds are……………….

Word bank
Bonds
Breaking
Endothermic
Energy
Formed
Positive
Products
Reactants
Reactions
Released

Read in group and try to explain in simple way the diagrams below.

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Heat pads
A heat pad contains a solution which exists
as a liquid at a temperature minor than the
melting point. Bending a metal disk inside
the crystallisation process starts. The heat of
the solidification is given out.
The supercooled solution is sodium acetate
and water.
Boiling the solid, you melt it back to the
liquid state.

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Head packs

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 Glossary
Ammonium nitrate, calcium chloride: salts
Boil: to heat a liquid util it contains rising bubbles.
Bond: the electrical attractive force between the atoms
Combustion: the burning of fuels with oxygen.
Condensation: physical change from gas to liquid.
Endothermic reaction: absorbs heat energy from the surroundings.
Exothermic reaction: releases heat energy to the surroundings.
Explosion: violent reaction.
Fuels: substances able to burn, source of energy.
Heat: energy that is absorbed or released during a chemical reaction. The
temperature falls or rises.
Hot pack ( instant warm food), cold pack ( instant ice).
Melt : to become liquid by heating.
Photosynthesis: a reaction that plants use to produce sugar from carbon
dioxide and water. It requires sun energy.
Physical process: the matter changes only in size , shape or appearance.
Products: the new substances in a reaction.
Reactants: substances that change in a reaction.
Reaction: chemical change.
Solidification: physical change from liquid to solid.
Stir: to mix a solution.
State of matter: solid , liquid, gaseous.
Surroundings: include the rest of universe.
System: specific part of the universe that is of interest in the study.

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