Is Heating Hydrated Copper (II) Sulfate a Chemical or Physical Change?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around whether the process of heating hydrated Copper (II) sulfate to form anhydrous Copper (II) sulfate constitutes a chemical or physical change. Participants explore the implications of this transformation, considering both theoretical and practical aspects of the change.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses confusion about the classification of the change, noting that while the ionic compound remains the same, the loss of water and the formation of gas complicate the distinction.
  • Another participant suggests that classifying changes strictly as chemical or physical is problematic, indicating that the process could be viewed as both.
  • A different viewpoint argues that since each unit of hydrated Copper (II) sulfate loses water and releases vapor, it may lean towards being a chemical change, although they also acknowledge the possibility of it being a physical change.
  • One participant posits that hydrated salts do not fundamentally differ from anhydrous salts, suggesting that the water is not integral to the core structure, which supports the idea of a physical change.
  • Another participant mentions that there may not be significant reactivity differences between hydrated and anhydrous salts, further reinforcing the argument for a physical change.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing opinions on whether the change is chemical or physical, with no consensus reached. Multiple competing views remain, highlighting the complexity of the classification.

Contextual Notes

Participants note that the classification may depend on definitions and interpretations of chemical versus physical changes, as well as the context of the reactions involved.

Who May Find This Useful

This discussion may be useful for students and educators exploring the concepts of chemical and physical changes, particularly in the context of hydrated and anhydrous compounds.

!Live_4Ever!
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Hey, I am a gr11 student and I just did a lab, and I do NOT understand a thing.

Ok, so I have hydrated Copper (II) sulfate, and basically I heated it up in a test tube in order to make it an anhydrous copper (II) sulfate compound

My question is:

-Is this a chemical or physical change?


I am seriously lost here, since the ionic compound (Copper II Sulfate) didnt change, and just the water, so I thought it was a physical change. It could also be reverted easily to the original hydrated compound, by just adding a few drops of water. On the other hand, gas was formed, and there was a change in color... so... I am really lost..yeah.. lol
 
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You are on the best track to understand that classifying all changes as either chemical or physical is a crap :wink:
 
i'm with borek. its very annoying to classify some things especially when it could be both.

on one hand, it could be a chemical change since each unit of CuSO4.xH2O is losing its water and becoming just CuSO4, and you release water vapor in the reaction.

on the other hand, hydrated salts aren't really different from regular salts, since the water isn't actually a part of the core molecule. It's just a regular salt molecule with a water molecule "stuck" to it that just sort of tags along. Heating unsticks the water molecule and removes it as a gas particle. I think the evidence here is stronger for a physical change. IMHO at least.
 
plus, correct me if I am wrong experts, but i don't think there is much of a reactivity difference with anhydrous and hydrated salts, except in cases where the water can interfere to give different products. I think there's just a difference in the reaction times? This is even more ammo for physical change rather than chemical change.
 
Thanks, your input was really helpful =)

I handed in my lab and I'm trying not to think about it. :smile:
 

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