A chunk of ice at room temperature melts, even at though the process is endothermic. Why?

1 Answer
Jan 27, 2017

Well....its surroundings are at high temperature (room temperature should be #20^@C#) at least compared to the temperature of the (solid) ice.

Explanation:

The chunk of ice is absorbing energy, as heat, from its hot surroundings; you can simplify your system as follows: the chunk of ice at zero degrees immersed in a "sea" of air at #20^@C#; heat is passing from the air to the ice that melts.