Which process releases energy to the surroundings?

Which process releases energy to the surroundings?

• A. Melting
• B. Evaporation
• C. Freezing
• D. Sublimation

Answer: (C)

Phase changes involve energy transfer, and when a substance changes from a liquid to a solid, energy is released. As the liquid cools and its particles slow down, they arrange into a more ordered lattice and form bonds that release energy to the surroundings. That makes freezing an exothermic process. The other changes—melting, evaporation, and sublimation—require energy input to break bonds and overcome intermolecular forces, so they absorb energy rather than release it.

Phase changes involve energy transfer, and when a substance changes from a liquid to a solid, energy is released. As the liquid cools and its particles slow down, they arrange into a more ordered lattice and form bonds that release energy to the surroundings. That makes freezing an exothermic process. The other changes—melting, evaporation, and sublimation—require energy input to break bonds and overcome intermolecular forces, so they absorb energy rather than release it.