5.

3 Endothermic processes
Endothermic reactions
(Melting)
• Probably the most familiar
endothermic process is melting.
Once the temperature of the
surroundings rises above 0°C, ice
absorbs heat energy from the air
and starts to melt. This is a
reversible physical reaction, not
a chemical reaction.
Sherbet
• Sherbet is a popular sweet. It is
made from citric acid sodium
hydrogencarbonate. When you put
sherbet in your mouth, it feels cool.
This is due to an endothermic
reaction taking place which results
in heat being taken from your
body. The reaction occurs when
the sherbet dissolves in your saliva
and the two chemical react
together. The word equation for
the reaction is:
 4

2. What makes the sherbet fizz?

○ The production of carbon dioxide, which
forms bubbles.
Cooking
• When foods are cooked, the
heat energy they take in allows
chemical reactions to take place
which change their structure
and taste.
Heating limestone
• Limestone is made from calcium
carbonate. When limestone is
heated it breaks down to form
calcium oxide and carbon dioxide.
Calcium oxide is normally called
lime and it is used to make bricks,
plaster, glass and paper. When
water is added to lime, slaked lime
is made which is used to neutralize
acid soils, to treat sewage to make
it harmless, and in food processing.
Heating limestone
• Large amounts of limestone are
converted into lime in a lime kiln.
Small limestone rocks are poured
into the top of a kiln, which is then
sealed. Heat from gas burners
decomposes the limestone.
Streams of air entering the bottom
of the kiln carry away carbon
dioxide from the top of the kiln and
prevent it reacting with the calcium
oxide. If the carbon dioxide did
react with the calcium oxide,
calcium carbonate would form
again.
 8
3. Write the word equation for the
endothermic reaction that occurs in a
lime kiln.
○ Calcium carbonate → calcium oxide +
carbon dioxide
 9

4. If air was not allowed to stream through

the kiln, how would the production of lime
be affected? Explain your answer?
○ The production of lime would be reduced.
Carbon dioxide produced by heating the
limestone would combine with the
calcium oxide and form calcium
carbonate again.
 10

5. Lime kilns are very large. Why is

this necessary?
○ Because a large amount of limestones
needs to be produced to make lime and
slaked lime for its many uses.
Photosynthesis
• The food used by living things is manufactured by plants. Plants do
not release energy as they make food – they take energy in, from
sunlight. This food-making process is called photosynthesis. Carbon
dioxide and water are used to trap the energy and make glucose. The
word equation for this process is:

• There are many chemical reactions which take place in the process of
photosynthesis. This equation is just a summary of those reactions.
 12
6. Where does the plant get the
energy it needs for the chemical
reactions in photosynthesis?
○ Energy in the Sun’s rays