a beaker containing ice and water is placed on a warm hotplate.Will the ice in the beaker undergo a physical or chemical change?
A physicala change is one in which the composition of the material does not change. When ice melts it undergoes a PHASE change, from solid to liquid, but it still is water. So that is a physical change.
When a beaker containing ice and water is placed on a warm hotplate, the ice will undergo a physical change, not a chemical change.
In this scenario, the ice will absorb heat energy from the hotplate, causing the ice to melt and change its state from a solid to a liquid. This change in state is a physical change because the substance (water) remains the same, only the physical state is altered. The molecules of water in the ice rearrange themselves, forming a liquid, but their chemical composition does not change.
The ice in the beaker will undergo a physical change.
To understand why, let's first define physical and chemical changes.
A physical change does not alter the chemical composition or identity of a substance. It involves changes in physical properties, such as shape, size, state of matter, or phase, without forming new substances. Melting of ice is an example of a physical change.
On the other hand, a chemical change involves the formation of new substances, with different chemical compositions and properties. It usually involves a chemical reaction that rearranges the atoms and molecules of a substance.
In the given scenario, when the beaker with ice and water is placed on a warm hotplate, the heat from the hotplate will gradually melt the ice, causing it to change from a solid to a liquid state. This change is strictly a physical one because the substance, water, remains the same throughout the process. The rearrangement of water molecules as they transition from a solid to a liquid phase does not involve any chemical reactions or the formation of new substances.