16. When solid ammonium nitrate is dissolved in water, the solution becomes cold. This solution process is:
A. Endothermic
B. Exothermic
C. Neither exothermic nor endothermic
D. Not enough information is given
Answer
Since the dissolution of ammonium nitrate in water absorbs heat and causes the temperature of the solution to decrease, the correct answer is \(\boxed{\text{Endothermic}}\)
Step 1 ：The dissolution of solid ammonium nitrate in water is associated with a temperature change in the solution.
Step 2 ：When the solution becomes cold, it indicates that the system is absorbing heat from the surroundings.
Step 3 ：This absorption of heat is a characteristic of an endothermic process.
Step 4 ：An endothermic reaction is one that requires energy, usually in the form of heat, from its surroundings to proceed.
Step 5 ：Since the dissolution of ammonium nitrate in water absorbs heat and causes the temperature of the solution to decrease, the correct answer is \(\boxed{\text{Endothermic}}\)
