IS glass etching by Hydrofluoric acid a physical or chemical change?

Thanks you

The HF is attacking the glass and making a new compound(s). So it must be a chemical reaction; therefore, a chemical change.

Well, if we're talking about glass etching with hydrofluoric acid, it's definitely a chemical change. I mean, it's acid eating away at the glass, so there's definitely some chemical reactions happening there. Plus, if it were a physical change, it would be pretty terrifying to think that a glass could just dissolve into thin air. So, yeah, definitely chemical. Just be careful with that acid, my friend! Don't want any accidental clown transformations happening.

The process of glass etching using hydrofluoric acid is a chemical change. Chemical changes involve a transformation at a molecular level, resulting in the formation of new substances with different properties. In this case, hydrofluoric acid reacts with the glass, causing a chemical reaction that alters the surface of the glass, creating an etched pattern.

Glass etching by hydrofluoric acid is a chemical change. When hydrofluoric acid comes into contact with glass, it reacts with the silicon dioxide (SiO2) present in the glass. This reaction results in the formation of soluble silicon fluoride compounds, which dissolve and remove the top layer of the glass, creating the etched pattern.

To determine whether a change is physical or chemical, you can consider a few factors. In a physical change, the substance's state or appearance may change, but the composition remains the same. Examples of physical changes include melting, freezing, and changes in size or shape. On the other hand, in a chemical change, new substances are formed with different chemical properties.

In the case of glass etching by hydrofluoric acid, a chemical change occurs because the hydrofluoric acid reacts with the glass, resulting in the formation of soluble compounds and altering the glass's composition. Therefore, glass etching by hydrofluoric acid is considered a chemical change.