Which of the following statements correctly describes the melting process?

Which of the following statements correctly describes the melting process?

1: It is exothermic because heat is gained from the surroundings.

2: It is endothermic because heat is lost to the surroundings.

3: It is exothermic because heat is lost to the surroundings.

4: It is endothermic because heat is gained from the surroundings.

Answer: It is endothermic because heat is gained from the surroundings.

During the melt process, a solid absorbs energy to overcome intermolecular attractive forces and enables molecules of solute particles also its solution medium to move freely thus transforming from being crystalline state undergo into liquefying. Energy is being gained by the melting solid from its environment hence, this process of melting is endothermic.

In an endothermic process heat is absorbed from the surroundings by the system (solid substance undergoing melting). The given heat is absorbed and acts on the solid structure as it breaks that apart by supplying enough energy for molecules to create some distance between them overcoming attractive forces. This makes the molecules to collide with each other randomly. At the same time, as an amount of heat is gained by melting solid; thermal energy itself decreases in magnitude concerning its surrounding.

Alternatively, an exothermic reaction releases heat energy to the surrounding medium which signifies a reverse thermal transfer as compared to endothermic melting. Furthermore, freezing is endothermic producing heat as the liquid molecules are organized structured into an ordered solid structure. However melting is to move in the opposite direction of freezing and demands from an external source a flow-of heat heats path organization . Therefore, the true illustration of melting process is “it is endothermic because heat gaining from surroundings”.