How do you distinguish exothermic and endothermic processes?

Answer 1

By whether heat is released or absorbed during the reaction.

Answer 2

Exothermic processes release heat to the surroundings, causing a rise in temperature, while endothermic processes absorb heat from the surroundings, leading to a decrease in temperature. This distinction is often observed through changes in the energy content of a system – exothermic reactions have a negative change in enthalpy, while endothermic reactions have a positive change in enthalpy.