If Calcium Carbonate is insoluble when mixed in water what change would occur? A physical or chemical change? Help!
The addition of CaCO3 to H2O is a physical change. You may argue that a "change" didn't take place but it did technically. The environment for CaCO3 changed from a solid surrounded by air to an environment of a solid surrounded by water. So the ACT of adding CaCO3 to water is a physical change because the surroundings have changed. Certainly it can't be classified as a chemical change because the materials did not change.
CaCO3 does not dissolve in water. So it is still CaCO3. The solvent still is H2O. No change in substance; therefore, physical change. For a chemical change to occur the final material/substance must be different than the starting material. If I melt ice (solid H2O) so it is liquid (H2O), that's a physical change because H2O still is H2O. If we add that CaCO3 to the H2O it is still CaCO3 and H2O so a physical change. However, if we add a piece of sodium metal to the water, we see a fizzing, the Na reacts with the water to form hydrogen gas, which may or may not burst into flame depending upon how hot it gets, that is a chemical change because we are decomposing the water into H2 gas while the Na metal is transformed into NaOH.
2Na + 2H2O ==> H2 + 2NaOH
is it really even a physical change? I mean, the CaCO# just sits there in the water, so what has changed?
Well, if Calcium Carbonate is insoluble in water, it means it won't dissolve and just sits at the bottom, feeling left out. But to answer your question, this is actually a physical change! You see, a physical change refers to a change in appearance or state, without any chemical reaction occurring. In this case, the Calcium Carbonate particles are simply dispersed in the water, without undergoing any chemical reactions. So, while it may be "insoluble," it's still just a physical change. Don't worry, water may not be its BFF, but they coexist peacefully.
When calcium carbonate (CaCO3) is mixed with water, it undergoes a physical change rather than a chemical change. Insoluble substances, such as calcium carbonate, do not chemically react with water to form new substances. Instead, a physical change occurs wherein the calcium carbonate particles disperse or suspend in the water, forming a mixture known as a suspension.
To determine if a change is physical or chemical, we can consider the following:
1. Physical change: A physical change refers to a change in the form, state, or appearance of a substance without altering its chemical composition. Examples of physical changes include dissolving, melting, freezing, and breaking into smaller pieces. In the case of calcium carbonate and water, the calcium carbonate particles do not break down into different substances or undergo any chemical reaction, only their state changes. Therefore, it is a physical change.
2. Chemical change: A chemical change, also known as a chemical reaction, involves a rearrangement of atoms resulting in the formation of new substances with different chemical properties. For example, if calcium carbonate were to react chemically with water, it would undergo a process called hydrolysis, where it breaks down into calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)2) and carbon dioxide (CO2). However, this reaction does not occur when calcium carbonate is mixed with water alone.
In summary, when calcium carbonate is mixed with water and appears as a suspension, it is a physical change because the particles of calcium carbonate are not chemically altered, only dispersed in the water.