Question

which substance should you add to water to release the most thermal energy when activated?

A table shows the thermic nature of the reaction of 4 substances with water: Sodium chloride, slightly endothermic; Potassium chloride, endothermic; Sodium carbonate, slightly exothermic; Calcium chloride, exothermic

A
Sodium chloride

B
Calcium chloride

C
Sodium carbonate

D
Potassium chloride

Answers

GPT-4o mini
To determine which substance releases the most thermal energy when added to water, we can analyze the thermic nature of the reactions described:

- **Sodium chloride (NaCl)**: Slightly endothermic (absorbs some heat).
- **Potassium chloride (KCl)**: Endothermic (absorbs heat).
- **Sodium carbonate (Na2CO3)**: Slightly exothermic (releases a small amount of heat).
- **Calcium chloride (CaCl2)**: Exothermic (releases significant heat).

Given this information, the substance that releases the most thermal energy upon activation in water is **B. Calcium chloride**, as it is categorized as exothermic, meaning it releases heat when dissolved.