You may have noticed that when water boils, you can see bubbles that rise to the surface of the water. a. What is inside these bubbles? i. air ii. hydrogen and oxygen gas iii. oxygen gas iv. water vapor v. carbon dioxide gas b. Is the boiling of water a chemical or physical change? Explain.

Short Answer

Expert verified
a. The bubbles that rise to the surface of the water when it boils primarily contain iv. water vapor. b. Boiling water is a physical change because no new substance is formed during the process. The water simply changes its phase from liquid to gas, and the composition of water remains the same (H2O) in both phases.

Step by step solution

01

Identify the contents of bubbles

When water boils, the bubbles that rise to the surface of the water primarily contain water vapor, which is the gaseous phase of water. Therefore, the correct answer is option iv. water vapor. #Step 2: Determine if boiling of water is a chemical or physical change#
02

Determine the type of change during boiling

To determine whether the boiling of water is a chemical or physical change, we need to consider if there is any new substance formed during the process. When water boils, there is no new substance formed; instead, the water simply changes its phase from liquid to gas (water vapor). This indicates that boiling water is a physical change rather than a chemical change. #Step 3: Provide an explanation for the type of change#
03

Explain the type of change

Boiling water is a physical change, as no new substance is formed during the process. The boiling of water involves breaking intermolecular forces (specifically, hydrogen bonds) between water molecules in the liquid phase, but it does not involve breaking or forming any chemical bonds within the water molecules themselves. The composition of water remains the same (H2O) whether it is in liquid or gaseous form. So, the answers to the exercise are: a. iv. water vapor b. The boiling of water is a physical change because no new substance is formed during the process, and the water simply changes its phase from liquid to gas.

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