when an electric current is passed through water 2 gasses are formed is this a chemical or physical change
2 H2O ----> 2 H2 + O2
That is a reaction in the outer valence electron shells so despite being a physicist, I call it chemical.
When an electric current is passed through water, two gases, hydrogen (H2) and oxygen (O2), are formed. This process is known as electrolysis.
Now, to determine whether this is a chemical or physical change, we need to understand the difference between the two.
A physical change refers to a change in the physical properties of a substance without altering its chemical composition. For example, melting ice into water is a physical change because the chemical composition remains the same (H2O molecules).
A chemical change, on the other hand, involves a transformation in the chemical composition, resulting in the formation of new substances with different properties. For instance, when two elements react to form a compound, it is considered a chemical change.
In the case of passing an electric current through water, it is a chemical change because the water molecules (H2O) are broken down into hydrogen (H2) and oxygen (O2) gas molecules through the process of electrolysis. The chemical composition of water changes, leading to the formation of entirely new substances.
To summarize, when the electric current is passed through water, the formation of hydrogen and oxygen gases is a chemical change.