I dissolved two different white solids into water. One solid dissolved and gave off heat and the other became cold. Reading various texts online, I was not sure if these were physical or chemical changes. Some texts say if these solids are salts then these are physical changes. Other texts say since ionic bonds are broken, these are chemical changes. Which one is correct?
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Expert's answer
2012-10-09T11:22:26-0400
Both of them are correct,because you don't now what kind of compounds are this white solid. In the case of NaOH or Ca(OH)2 or KOH it is physical changes,cause water "destroys bond" between Me^x+ and xOH^. The same with kind of salts Mex(A)y <---> xMe^y+ + yA^x- ,but in the case with alkali solid become hot,and with salts in can become cold or hot. But in the case,when white solid is Na2O or CaO or other white solid oxide of some active metals it's chemical changes Na2O + H2O -->2NaOH and this reaction produced heat.
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