Question

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

Answer 1

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.