Meaning & use
exotherm
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountabletechnicalchemistry
A chemical reaction or process that releases heat into its surroundings.
Grammar: Countable: you can talk about one exotherm or several exotherms.
Patterns
- an exotherm occurs
- produce an exotherm
- a strong exotherm
The reaction produced a strong exotherm, and the mixture became too hot to touch.
Scientists measured the exotherm to see how much energy the process released.
nouncountabletechnicalspecialist
A curve on a graph that shows heat being released during a process.
Grammar: Used mainly in specialist lab reports and textbooks.
Patterns
- an exotherm on a graph
- the exotherm peak
The exotherm on the graph shows where the sample suddenly released heat.
A sharp exotherm appeared at 250 degrees Celsius.
Word forms
| plural | exotherms |
|---|
Common combinations
- strong exotherm
- The strong exotherm melted the plastic container.
- produce an exotherm
- Mixing the two chemicals produces an exotherm.
- exotherm peak
- The exotherm peak was recorded at 300 degrees.
- measure the exotherm
- The team measured the exotherm with a calorimeter.
Synonyms and how they differ
Opposites
Word family
- exothermic adjective
- Describing a reaction that gives out heat.
- exothermically adverb
- In a way that releases heat.
Commonly confused: exotherm or endotherm? exotherm or ectotherm?
exotherm vs endotherm
An endotherm absorbs heat, while an exotherm releases it. They are opposites.
exotherm vs ectotherm
An ectotherm is an animal that relies on its environment for body heat, not a chemical process.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'exotherm' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Exotherm' refers to a process that releases heat, so option 1 is correct. Option 0 describes an endotherm, option 2 describes an endotherm animal, and option 3 is not a standard meaning.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “exotherm”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.