Releasing heat to the surroundings; describing a chemical reaction or process that produces warmth as a byproduct.
From Greek exō (outside) + thermē (heat). The term literally means 'heat going outside' and was coined to describe chemical reactions that emit energy as heat.
Burning wood, rusting iron, and even the way your body produces energy are all exothermal processes—basically the universe is constantly sharing heat with its surroundings, and chemistry is just one way it does that!
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