What is in the sodium acetate that makes it exothermic?

Question

what is in the sodium acetate that makes it exothermic?

Is there other material that we can add to make the hot ice useful?for example: paint,,,can we add paint?

Answer 1

Because the heat content in product is less than that in the reactants i.e gives out heat an become less.Also due to the enthalpy(amount of heat involved in a reaction.)

Answer 2

Are you asking about "hand warmers"?  The hand warmer contains a supersaturated solution of sodium acetate.  The addition of a solid crystal of sodium acetate causes the rapid crystallization of solid NaC2H3O2.  This process is exothermic.  That means that the solid sodium acetate is at a lower energy than the energy of the ions in solution.  Therefore, as it solidifies it gives off the difference in energy as heat.