When you measure the boiling point of mercury, you are investigating a ____?
1)chemical change
2)chemical property
3)physical change
4)physical property
I think #3. This is a practice but want to make sure.
Thanks,
Johnny O is WRONG. I just took the test, and the answer is physical property
When you measure the boiling point of mercury, you are investigating a physical property. Boiling point is a physical property because it involves only a physical change. In boiling, the phase of the substance is only changed not the substance itself is changed.
The answer is physical property!
You are correct! When you measure the boiling point of mercury, you are investigating a physical property, which is represented by the answer choice #4.
To determine the correct answer, it is important to understand the difference between physical changes, physical properties, chemical changes, and chemical properties:
- Physical changes involve changes in the physical state or form of a substance, such as changing from a solid to a liquid or a gas without altering its chemical composition. For example, when mercury changes from a liquid to a gas by reaching its boiling point, this is a physical change.
- Physical properties, on the other hand, are characteristics or attributes of a substance that can be observed or measured without changing its chemical composition. Examples of physical properties include boiling point, melting point, density, color, hardness, and solubility. In this case, the boiling point of mercury is a physical property because it can be measured without altering the chemical composition of mercury.
- Chemical changes, also known as chemical reactions, involve transformations that result in the formation of new substances with different chemical composition. These changes often involve breaking or forming chemical bonds. For example, when mercury reacts with oxygen to form mercury oxide, a chemical change occurs.
- Chemical properties describe how a substance behaves during a chemical change. They involve the ability of a substance to undergo specific chemical reactions or changes under specific conditions. Examples of chemical properties include reactivity, flammability, toxicity, and acidity.
In summary, when measuring the boiling point of mercury, you are examining a physical property, making answer choice #4, "physical property," the correct answer.