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Example Questions
Example Question #1 : Determine Whether A Chemical Reaction Has Occurred
Heating Zinc Chloride to its melting point of 290 °C and watching it turn to a liquid is an example of:
neither a physical nor a chemical change
both a physical and chemical change
a physical change
a chemical change
a physical change
The answer is "a physical change" because the chemical composition of Zinc Chloride does not change as its melting.
Example Question #2 : Determine Whether A Chemical Reaction Has Occurred
A block of ice melting into a puddle of water is an example of:
a physical change
a chemical change
neither a physical nor a chemical change
both a physical and a chemical change
a physical change
The answer is a physical change because ice and water are chemically identical and only the physical state changes when ice is melted to water.
Example Question #3 : Determine Whether A Chemical Reaction Has Occurred
Hydrochloric acid breaking down food during digestion is an example of:
luster
combustion
a chemical change
a physical change
a chemical change
The answer is a chemical change because the "breaking down" of food is a chemical reaction.
Example Question #4 : Determine Whether A Chemical Reaction Has Occurred
Which of these is NOT an example of a chemical reaction?
plants undergoing photosynthesis
lighting a match
washing your hands with soap
iron being filed down and turned into powder
iron being filed down and turned into powder
The answer is "iron being filed down to a powder" because the metal is undergoing a physical change and its chemical identity stays the same.
Example Question #5 : Determine Whether A Chemical Reaction Has Occurred
Cooking uses heat to cause chemical changes in food. For example, when you hard boil an egg, the hydrogen sulfide produced by heating the egg white can react with iron from the egg yolk to form a green ring around the yolk. How do you know a chemical reaction has occurred during this process?
the green ring around the yolk
you can smell the sulphur from the egg as gas is produced
You used heat to boil the water and the egg
All choices are correct
All choices are correct
The answer is all of these, because color changes, heating, and production of gases are all signs of a chemical change.
Example Question #4 : Determine Whether A Chemical Reaction Has Occurred
Which of these is NOT a sign of a chemical reaction?
energy is absorbed or released
a change in color
a change in phase of matter
formation of a precipitate
a change in phase of matter
The answer is "a change in the phase of matter" because state changes are examples of physical changes.
Example Question #7 : Determine Whether A Chemical Reaction Has Occurred
You are doing a science experiment in your classroom. Your teacher gives you these instructions and tells you a chemical reaction will take place.
Materials: ammonium nitrate (NH4NO3), tap water(H2O), Ziploc bags, a graduated cylinder and a balance.
Procedure:
1. Measure out 5 grams of ammonium nitrate and place it directly into a Ziploc plastic bag.
2. Using a graduated cylinder, measure exactly 10 mL of water .
3. Quickly, pour the water into the bag of ammonium nitrate, remove excess air and seal the bag.
4. Gently squeeze the bag to mix the solid and water. Observe while holding the bag.
After doing the experiment you recorded the following observations:
- the water did not change color
- the ammonium nitrate dissolved completely
- the bag got much colder
- no bubbles were produced
Which of these is a sign that a chemical reaction took place when you mix the ammonium nitrate and the water?
no bubbles were produced
the water did not change color
the ammonium nitrate dissolved completely
the bag got much colder
the bag got much colder
The answer is "the bag got much colder" because the absorption of thermal energy is evidence that an endothermic reaction has occurred.
Example Question #5 : Determine Whether A Chemical Reaction Has Occurred
The difference between a chemical change and a physical change is:
A physical change does not change the chemical identity of a substance
only chemical reactions involve heat
only chemical reactions involve state changes
a chemical reaction changes the shape of a substance
A physical change does not change the chemical identity of a substance
The answer is "a physical change does not change the chemical identity of a substance." Both chemical and physical changes can involve heat, change the shape of a substance, or involve state changes.
Example Question #6 : Determine Whether A Chemical Reaction Has Occurred
An "indicator" is a substance that changes color to tell us whether another chemical is present in our solution. An example of an indicator is the substance called "methyl yellow" which makes a yellow color in the presence of an alkaline. Indicators changing color are a sign that what has occurred?
both a physical and a chemical change
a physical change
a chemical change
neither a physical nor a chemical change
a chemical change
The answer is a chemical change because indicators produce a color change.
Example Question #7 : Determine Whether A Chemical Reaction Has Occurred
The following equation represents what happens when you combine Hydrogen Chloride and Potassium Hydroxide: HCl + KOH → KCl + H2O. This is an example of:
a physical change because there is a state change
a chemical change because of the law of conservation of mass
a physical change because there is no new substance produced
a chemical change because a new substance is produced
a chemical change because a new substance is produced
The answer is "a chemical change because a new substance is produced." The answer is not physical change and the reason is "because a new substance is produced" since we know a change in chemical identity occurs and the substance KCl is present on the other side of the equation. The law of conservation of mass is true of physical changes as well.
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