The dissolution of ammonium nitrate in water is a spontaneous endothermic process. It is spontaneous because the system undergoes ________

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Spontaneous processes tend to increase the entropy of the system, and in this case, the dissolution of ammonium nitrate in water results in an increase in the disorder or randomness of the system, therefore increasing its entropy. Additionally, the endothermic nature of the process implies that energy (in the form of heat) is absorbed by the system, resulting in an increase in its enthalpy. However, since the entropy term dominates in determining the spontaneity of the process, the overall process remains spontaneous.

The Dissolution of Ammonium Nitrate in Water Is a Spontaneous