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Difficulty: EasyChemical Reactions and Compounds

During an outdoor camping trip, several activities take place around the campsite. Which of the following activities is an example of a chemical change?

  1. A
    Melting ice cubes inside an insulated cooler
  2. Burning dry firewood in a campfireAnswer
  3. C
    Boiling river water in a metal pot
  4. D
    Crushing aluminum beverage cans for recycling

Answer

Burning dry firewood in a campfire
Burning dry firewood is a combustion reaction where organic compounds in wood chemically react with oxygen gas to yield new chemical products, including carbon dioxide, water vapor, and ash, accompanied by the release of heat and light.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze each activity to determine whether new chemical substances are formed or only the physical state/shape changes.
Melting ice, boiling water, and crushing cans alter physical state or form without creating new molecules; burning wood reacts with oxygen to form new substances (ash, CO2\text{CO}_2, and H2O\text{H}_2\text{O}).
A chemical change is defined by the rearrangement of atoms to form one or more new chemical substances.
2
Select the activity that involves a chemical reaction.
Combustion of firewood is identified as the chemical change.
Combustion is an irreversible chemical reaction that releases energy and produces distinct products.

Key Concept

Chemical change versus physical change
Estimated Time:40s
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Topics

Chemical Reactions and Compounds

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