Which is an everyday endothermic reaction?

• A. Burning fuels
• B. Hand warmers
• C. Instant cold packs
• D. Condensing steam

Answer: (C)

Endothermic reactions absorb energy from their surroundings. An everyday example is an instant cold pack: when activated, the contents dissolve, and the dissolution pulls heat from the surrounding pack and your skin, making it feel cold. The other options involve releasing heat: burning fuels and hand warmers mainly produce warmth through exothermic reactions, and condensing steam releases heat as it changes from gas to liquid. So the cold-pack is the everyday endothermic example.