Chemical and Physical Properties and Changes

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What is a physical property?

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A physical property is a characteristic of a substance that can be observed or measured without changing its chemical composition. Examples include color, texture, density, and mass.

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What is a chemical property?

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A chemical property is a characteristic of a substance that describes its ability to undergo a specific chemical change. Examples include flammability, reactivity with acids, and oxidation states.

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What is a physical change?

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A physical change is a change that affects one or more physical properties of a substance without altering its chemical composition. Examples include melting, freezing, and dissolving.

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What is a chemical change?

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A chemical change is a change that results in the formation of new chemical substances. Examples include burning, rusting, and digestion.

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What is density?

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Density is the mass of a substance divided by its volume. It is a physical property that helps determine whether an object will float or sink in a fluid.

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What is an example of a physical property of water?

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An example of a physical property of water is its boiling point, which is 100 degrees Celsius at sea level.

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What happens to the mass of a substance during a physical change?

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The mass of a substance remains the same during a physical change because the chemical composition does not change.

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What happens to the mass of a substance during a chemical change?

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The mass of a substance may change during a chemical change due to the formation of new substances, but the total mass of the reactants equals the total mass of the products (law of conservation of mass).

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Is melting ice a physical or chemical change?

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Melting ice is a physical change because it changes from solid to liquid without altering its chemical composition.

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Is burning wood a physical or chemical change?

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Burning wood is a chemical change because it transforms the wood into ash, smoke, and gases, creating new substances.