Question

students are each given a 20 - gram sample of an unknown solid compound in a clear plastic bag. they are instructed to break the material into smaller parts by gently hitting it with a hammer. some of the parts break into large chunks and some look like a fine powder. which statement correctly describes these broken pieces of the sample? the fine powder pieces are individual atoms broken from the solid. the larger pieces are still compounds and the smaller pieces are elements. each piece contains the same number of atoms. each piece contains the same proportion of different elements.

Explanation:

A compound is a substance made up of two or more different elements chemically combined in a fixed ratio. Breaking a compound physically (like hitting it with a hammer) does not change its chemical composition. Each piece, whether large or small, still contains the same proportion of different elements as the original compound. The fine - powder pieces are not individual atoms (atoms are much smaller and not visible like this), and breaking a compound doesn't turn parts of it into elements. Also, there's no guarantee that each piece contains the same number of atoms as the number of atoms depends on the size of the piece.

Answer:

Each piece contains the same proportion of different elements.