in this lab you will do experiments to identify types of changes. using the question format you learned (shown above), write an investigative question that you can answer by doing these experiments.

How can you distinguish a physical change from a chemical change?

Explanation:

out of these options:

ability to burn paper

pure sodium reacting violently with water

the boiling point of water

helium does not tend to react with anything

i would say this is a physical property:

helium does not tend to react with anything

why? :

i said helium does not tend to react with anything because well, it reacts to ! but ability to burn paper, pure sodium reacting violently with water, & the boiling point of water are chemical or

physical properties: the properties of a substance that can be observed without changing the chemical makeup of the substance

chemical properties: properties of a substance relating to the chemical nature and reactivity of the substance

it can be observed without changing the identity of the object.

it depends on what substance you're talking about as well as many other factors. in quantum mechanics, the observation of particles affects the observers ability to measure certain properties. for example: you can know the velocity of a particle, but you can't know it's position; or you can know it's position, but not it's velocity. it's like trying to find out where a grain of sand is by throwing other grains of sand at it. once you find out where it is, it's been moved. it's also like trying to find an answer to the question of whether or not a tree falling in a forest makes a sound if nobody is there to hear it. paradoxically, the only way to find out is to be there and hear it.