endothermic

Chemistry

(adjective)

A chemical reaction that absorbs heat energy from its surroundings.

Related Terms

  • exothermic
  • homolysis
  • enthalpy

(adjective)

of a chemical reaction that absorbs heat energy from its surroundings

Related Terms

  • exothermic
  • homolysis
  • enthalpy

(adjective)

A description of a chemical reaction that absorbs heat energy from its surroundings.

Related Terms

  • exothermic
  • homolysis
  • enthalpy
Biology

(adjective)

an animal whose body temperature is regulated by internal factors

Related Terms

  • pneumatic
  • cloaca
  • furcula

Examples of endothermic in the following topics:

  • Exothermic and Endothermic Processes

    • In thermodynamics, these two types of reactions are classified as exothermic or endothermic, respectively.
    • As such, the change in enthalpy for an endothermic reaction is always positive.
    • In order to melt the ice cube, heat is required, so the process is endothermic.
    • In an endothermic reaction, the products are higher in energy than the reactants.
    • Paul Andersen explains how heat can be absorbed in endothermic or released in exothermic reactions.
  • Thermochemical Equations

    • The sign of the $\Delta H$ value indicates whether or not the system is endothermic or exothermic.
    • In an endothermic system, the $\Delta H$ value is positive, so the reaction absorbs heat into the system.
    • Notice that in an endothermic reaction like the one depicted above, we can think of heat as being a reactant, just like A and B.
  • Energy Changes in Chemical Reactions

    • Endothermic reactions, on the other hand, absorb heat and/or light from their surroundings.
    • For example, decomposition reactions are usually endothermic.
    • In endothermic reactions, the products have more enthalpy than the reactants.
    • Thus, an endothermic reaction is said to have a positive enthalpy of reaction.
    • Significant heat energy is needed for this reaction to proceed, so the reaction is endothermic.
  • Heat of Solution

    • The breaking of bonds within the solute, such as the electrostatic attraction between two ions (endothermic)
    • The breaking of intermolecular attractive forces within the solvent, such as hydrogen bonds (endothermic)
    • If more energy is used in breaking bonds than is released upon solute-solvent bond formation, then the overall process is endothermic, and ∆Hsol is positive.
    • Dissolution of sodium chloride (table salt) in water is endothermic.
    • Dissolution of sodium chloride in water is endothermic.
  • Animal Bioenergetics

    • If an animal can conserve that heat and maintain a relatively-constant body temperature, it is classified as a warm-blooded animal: an endotherm.
    • Even with insulation, endothermal animals require extensive amounts of energy to maintain a constant body temperature.
    • Smaller endothermic animals have a greater surface area for their mass than larger ones .
    • This results in a smaller endothermic animal having a higher BMR, per body weight, than a larger endothermic animal.
    • The diet of an endothermic animal is determined by its BMR.
  • Homeostasis: Thermoregulation

    • Endotherms create most of their heat via metabolic processes, and are colloquially referred to as "warm-blooded."
    • Heat is usually generated from the animal's normal metabolism, but under conditions of excessive cold or low activity, an endotherm generate additional heat by shivering.
    • Many endotherms have a larger number of mitochondria per cell than ectotherms.
    • However, endothermic animals must sustain their higher metabolism by eating more food more often.
    • Sustained energy output of an endothermic animal (mammal) and an ectothermic animal (reptile) as a function of core temperature.
  • Heat Conservation and Dissipation

    • In certain climates, endothermic animals have some form of insulation, such as fur, fat, feathers, or some combination thereof.
    • Endotherms use their circulatory systems to help maintain body temperature.
    • In contrast, similar adaptations (as in dolphin flukes and elephant ears) can help cool endotherms when needed.
    • In endotherms, the circulatory system is used to help maintain body temperature, either by vasodilation or vasoconstriction.
  • Changes in Temperature

    • Reactions with positive enthalpies—those that absorb heat from their surroundings—are known as endothermic.
    • Endothermic reactions, on the other hand, will be shifted towards product formation as heat is removed from the reaction's surrounding environment.
  • Evolution of Reptiles

    • It is not known whether dinosaurs were endotherms or ectotherms.
    • However, given that modern birds are endothermic, the dinosaurs that served as ancestors to birds were probably endothermic as well.
  • Le Chatelier's Principle

    • Recall that for an endothermic reaction, heat is absorbed in the reaction, and the value of $\Delta H$ is positive.
    • Thus, for an endothermic reaction, we can picture heat as being a reactant:
    • Conversely, lowering the temperature on an endothermic reaction will shift the equilibrium to the left, since lowering the temperature in this case is equivalent to removing a reactant.
    • Our heat of reaction is positive, so this reaction is endothermic.
    • Since this reaction is endothermic, heat is a reactant.
Subjects
  • Accounting
  • Algebra
  • Art History
  • Biology
  • Business
  • Calculus
  • Chemistry
  • Communications
  • Economics
  • Finance
  • Management
  • Marketing
  • Microbiology
  • Physics
  • Physiology
  • Political Science
  • Psychology
  • Sociology
  • Statistics
  • U.S. History
  • World History
  • Writing

Except where noted, content and user contributions on this site are licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 with attribution required.