Final answer:
Zinc reacts with nitric acid to form a salt known as zinc nitrate (Zn(NO3)2), leading to a chemical transformation characterized by solubility in water.
Step-by-step explanation:
When zinc reacts with nitric acid, a salt called zinc nitrate forms. This salt, known as Zn(NO3)2, can be recovered by simply evaporating the water, showing that the process of forming zinc nitrate from zinc and nitric acid is a chemical transformation.
The reaction between zinc and nitric acid can be represented as follows:
This equation demonstrates that zinc reacts with nitric acid to form aqueous zinc nitrate and hydrogen gas. Since nitrates are soluble, zinc nitrate is also soluble in water, meaning it readily dissolves to form a clear solution.