Question

a student performs the following experiment. step 1: she pours a colorless solution into a beaker that contains another colorless liquid. yellow particles appear in the liquid. step 2: she lets the yellow particles settle in the beaker and then separates the colorless liquid by decantation. what has most likely occurred in the beaker? a chemical change in step 1 and a physical change in step 2 a physical change in step 1 and a chemical change in step 2 chemical changes in both step 1 and step 2 physical changes in both step 1 and step 2

Explanation:

• Step 1: Mixing two colorless liquids produced a new yellow substance (particles), which is a chemical change as new matter is formed.
• Step 2: Decantation only separates the settled yellow particles from the colorless liquid without altering the chemical identity of either substance, so this is a physical change.

Answer:

a. a chemical change in step 1 and a physical change in step 2