Final answer:
The statement is false; a CaCl2 solution has higher potential energy than water and solid CaCl2 due to the energy absorbed during the dissolution process, which is evident in phenomena like freezing point depression.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question is whether water and solid CaCl2 have a lower potential energy than a CaCl2 solution. The answer is false. In a solid state, CaCl2 has a strong lattice structure which requires a significant amount of energy to overcome when dissolving in water. Hence, the process of dissolving CaCl2 in water is endothermic; energy is absorbed to break the ionic bonds. Therefore, the resulting solution actually has higher potential energy compared to the water and solid CaCl2 before mixing. This higher potential energy is reflected in phenomena such as the freezing point depression of water when CaCl2 is dissolved in it. A CaCl2 solution will have a lower freezing point than pure water because the presence of ions from dissolved CaCl2 disrupts the formation of a solid ice structure, thereby requiring colder temperatures to freeze.