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If you cut an apple into slices and leave them in the open air, they will slowly

turn brown. Is this a physical or chemical change? Explain *
O Physical change, because it is still an apple, but it is cut into smaller pieces.
Chemical change, exposure to air has caused the apple to turn color, indicating
something new.

User Broadwell
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2 Answers

2 votes

Final answer:

The browning of an apple when exposed to air is a chemical change because new substances are formed during the enzymatic browning process, indicating a chemical reaction.

Step-by-step explanation:

When you cut an apple into slices and leave them in the open air, and they turn brown, it is an example of a chemical change. This browning process is called enzymatic browning and occurs because the apple's cells are damaged when sliced, exposing enzymes to oxygen in the air, which causes the apple to oxidize. This process changes the chemical composition of the apple, creating new substances, as indicated by the color change. Therefore, it is not merely a change in appearance; it is a transformation at the molecular level, making the browning of the apple a chemical reaction.

User Clive Paterson
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5.6k points
2 votes

Answer:

Chemical change, exposure to air has caused the apple to turn color, indicating something new.

Step-by-step explanation:

Chemical change, exposure to air has caused the apple to turn color, indicating something new, because it is not asking if cutting the apples is a physical or chemical change, it is asking if the apples turning brown is a physical or chemical change.

User Ryan Parman
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4.4k points