why is the freezing of water called a physical change?
2006-09-20 10:41:06 · 19 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Chemistry
freezing of water is a physcal change because all you are doing is changing the physical state of the water from a liquid to a solid. when freezing occurs you have not altered the water chemically. you still have water except its in the solid form.
2006-09-20 10:48:15 · answer #1 · answered by Matty G 2 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Water's chemical description is H2O. that is one atom of oxygen bound to two atoms of hydrogen. The hydrogen atoms are "attached" to one side of the oxygen atom, resulting in a water molecule having a positive charge on the side where the hydrogen atoms are and a negative charge on the other side, where the oxygen atom is. Since opposite electrical charges attract, water molecules tend to attract each other, making water kind of "sticky."The side with the hydrogen atoms (positive charge) attracts the oxygen side (negative charge) of a different water molecule. When water freezes the only change it
undergoes is that is becomes less dense than the liquid form which is why ice floats. There is no change in the chemistry of water..
. A physical change is reversible, a chemical change is not. For example, the freezing of water would be a physical change because it can be reversed, whereas the burning of wood is a chemical change - you can't 'unburn' it
A physical change is a change in which no new substance is formed; a chemical change results in the formation of one or more new substances. Again, consider the previous examples: Freezing water into ice just results in water molecules which are 'stuck' together - it's still H2O. Whereas burning wood results in ash, carbon dioxide, etc, all new substances which weren't there when you started.
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2006-09-20 11:06:38 · answer #2 · answered by Prabhakar G 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The properties of water change to those of Ice. In other words it changes from a liquid to a solid. Instead of changing its chemical/molecular makeup to make it a different substance.
2006-09-20 13:29:56 · answer #3 · answered by cheesehead 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because the state of the water changes. it goes from being a liquid, to a solid, so it changes classes. Physically, water is "soft", if you will. you can stick your hand in it, mix it with other substances, etc. When it is frozen as a solid, you can no longer stick your hand in it, or mix it with other substances. It doesn't "look" the same.
2006-09-20 10:44:28 · answer #4 · answered by crazedlunatic29 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The physical properties change from liquid to solid.
2006-09-20 10:49:16 · answer #5 · answered by snowy 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because it is a physical change. A physical change caries the same chemical make up so water turning into ice is not a chemical change.
2006-09-20 10:43:33 · answer #6 · answered by sooners83 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Because the actual physical (tangible) state of it changes from a liquid to a solid.
2006-09-20 10:42:59 · answer #7 · answered by elk312 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
What Is Freezing In Chemistry
2016-11-08 02:17:33 · answer #8 · answered by sachiko 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The water does not change, it is still water. It just freezes. When it melts it is still water. It doesn't change into something different.
2006-09-20 10:43:49 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
the physical properties of the water have changed; it was a liquid, now it's a solid.
2006-09-20 10:43:20 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋