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Question

Why is the dissolution of sodium hydroxide in water is exothermic in nature?

why is the dissolution of ammonium chloride in water is endothermic in nature?

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Solution

The process of dissolving can be endothermic (temperature goes down) or exothermic (temperature goes up).

When water dissolves a substance, the water molecules attract and “bond” to the particles (molecules or ions) of the substance causing the particles to separate from each other.

The “bond” that a water molecule makes is not a covalent or ionic bond. It is a strong attraction caused by water’s polarity.

It takes energy to break the bonds between the molecules or ions of the solute. Energy is released when water molecules bond to the solute molecules or ions.

If it takes less energy to separate the particles of the solute than is released when the water molecules bond to the particles, then the temperature goes up (exothermic).

The same thing happens during the dissolution of NaOH in water. It takes less energy to separate NaOH as they get ionized to Na+ and OH- but the water molecules bond to the ionized particles the temperature is increased and it is an exothermic reaction.

NaOH(s) --H2O --> Na+(aq) + OH-(aq) + heat

If it takes more energy to separate the particles of the solute than is released when the water molecules bond to the particles, then the temperature goes down (endothermic).

The same thing happens during the dissolution of NH4Cl in water. It takes more energy to separate NH4Cl as they get ionized to NH4+ and Cl- but the water molecules bond to the ionized particles the temperature is decreased and it is an endothermic reaction.

heat + NH4Cl(s) --H2O --> NH4+(aq) + Cl-(aq)


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