When an electric current passes through water during the process of electrolysis, two gases are formed. One gas has a boiling point of -183 C and the other has a boiling point of -253 C. Has a physical change or chemical change occurred? Explain.
I think it is a chemical change, but I'm not sure. It could also be a physical change because the water is just turning into a gas, which is a physical property of water. But, chemical change also makes sense because I think the water changed into different compounds. I'm really confused, can someone please help? Thanks. (=
I really don't know all I know is that it's a chemical change
Anyone? I'd really appreciate your help.
When an electric current passes through water during the process of electrolysis, a chemical change occurs. This is because the water molecules (H2O) are broken down into their constituent elements, hydrogen (H2) and oxygen (O2).
During electrolysis, the water molecules are dissociated into ions by the electric current. The positive electrode (anode) attracts negatively charged hydroxide ions (OH-) and oxygen atoms. At the anode, the hydroxide ions are oxidized, losing electrons to form oxygen gas (O2). This gas has a boiling point of -183°C.
On the other hand, the negative electrode (cathode) attracts positively charged hydrogen ions (H+). At the cathode, the hydrogen ions are reduced, gaining electrons to form hydrogen gas (H2). This gas has a boiling point of -253°C.
Therefore, the formation of the two gases with different boiling points indicates a chemical change. The water molecules are being chemically transformed into distinct compounds, hydrogen and oxygen gases, as a result of the electrolysis process.
When an electric current passes through water during the process of electrolysis, a physical change and a chemical change both occur.
Firstly, let's talk about the physical change. When the electric current passes through the water, it causes the water molecules to break apart into their separate elemental components, hydrogen (H2) gas and oxygen (O2) gas. The formation of these two gases is a physical change because the individual water molecules are simply rearranging themselves to form different combinations of elements. The boiling points of these gases, -183°C for hydrogen and -253°C for oxygen, indicate that they have indeed become separate gases.
However, there is also a chemical change occurring during electrolysis. The breaking apart of water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen gases involves a chemical reaction. Water (H2O) is a compound made up of hydrogen and oxygen atoms that are chemically bonded together. During electrolysis, the electric current causes the water molecules to undergo a decomposition reaction, separating the hydrogen and oxygen atoms.
So, in conclusion, during the process of electrolysis, both a physical change (formation of separate gases) and a chemical change (decomposition of water molecules) occur.