Question

A student observes zinc turning from a solid to a liquid in a laboratory investigation. Which statement describes the change in zinc atoms while melting? Responses The size of the zinc atoms decreased. The size of the zinc atoms decreased. The mass of the zinc atoms decreased. The mass of the zinc atoms decreased. The zinc atoms lost their relative fixed positions. The zinc atoms lost their relative fixed positions. The zinc atoms were changed into atoms of another element.

Answer 1

During the melting process, zinc atoms do not change in size or mass but lose their fixed positions and move more freely due to increased energy; it's a physical change, not a chemical change.

Step-by-step explanation:

When zinc transforms from a solid to a liquid during the melting process, its atoms do not change in size or mass. Instead, the zinc atoms lose their relative fixed positions in the solid lattice and begin to move more freely. This change is due to the increase in energy that causes the atoms to overcome the attractive forces holding them together in the solid state. Unlike a chemical change, where there is a formation of a new substance (such as zinc reacting with sulfur to form zinc sulfide), the melting of zinc is a physical change and does not involve altering the zinc atoms into a different element.

Answer 2

When zinc melts, the zinc atoms lose their fixed positions in the solid lattice, enabling them to move more freely in the liquid phase, but their size and mass remain unchanged.

Step-by-step explanation:

A student observes zinc turning from a solid to a liquid in a laboratory investigation. The statement that best describes the change in zinc atoms while melting is 'The zinc atoms lost their relative fixed positions.' This is because during the melting process, the energy of the atoms increases, allowing them to overcome the forces that hold them in a rigid structure. However, the size and the mass of the zinc atoms do not decrease, and they are not changed into atoms of another element.