Deep Dive: Where Does the Energy Come From?
Part of Endothermic Reactions · GCSE GCSE Chemistry revision
This deep dive covers Deep Dive: Where Does the Energy Come From? within Endothermic Reactions for GCSE Chemistry. Revise Endothermic Reactions in Energy Changes for GCSE Chemistry with 20 exam-style questions and 14 flashcards. This topic appears less often, but it can still be a useful differentiator on mixed-topic papers. It is section 4 of 12 in this topic. Use this deep dive to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.
Topic position
Section 4 of 12
Practice
20 questions
Recall
14 flashcards
🔬 Deep Dive: Where Does the Energy Come From?
In endothermic reactions, energy is transferred FROM the surroundings INTO the reacting chemicals. This causes the temperature of the surroundings to decrease.
Energy in Products > Energy in Reactants
Energy is absorbed from surroundings to make up the difference
Common examples of endothermic reactions:
- Photosynthesis — plants absorb light energy to make glucose
- Thermal decomposition — breaking down compounds using heat (e.g., CaCO₃ → CaO + CO₂)
- Dissolving ammonium nitrate — used in sports injury cold packs
- Citric acid + sodium hydrogencarbonate — sherbet reaction
- Electrolysis — requires continuous energy input
Keep building this topic
Read this section alongside the surrounding pages in Endothermic Reactions. That gives you the full topic sequence instead of a single isolated revision point.
Practice Questions for Endothermic Reactions
In an endothermic reaction, energy is:
Explain why a sports cold pack becomes cold when activated.
Quick Recall Flashcards
20 questions on Endothermic Reactions — practise free
Instant marking, adaptive difficulty, and 14 spaced repetition flashcards. Free until your GCSEs.
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