Dissolving table sugar (C₁₂H₂₂O₁₁) in water is routinely classified as a physical change
CHEMISTRY · Single correct · AP · Chemistry · Chemical Reactions · Chemical Reactions
Problem
Dissolving table sugar (C₁₂H₂₂O₁₁) in water is routinely classified as a physical change, whereas the dissolution of calcium chloride in water is often debated. Which of the following best accounts for this difference in classification?
(a) Sugar dissolves without producing ions, but CaCl2 generates ions that make the solution conduct electricity, and this conductivity is evidence of a chemical change.
(b) CaCl2 reacts with water to form Ca(OH)2 and HCl, while sugar shows no comparable reaction, accounting for their different classifications.
(c) Sugar dissolution disrupts only intermolecular forces, whereas dissolving CaCl2 breaks its ionic lattice and forms new ion–dipole attractions with water.
(d) Dissolving sugar is endothermic so it remains a physical process, whereas the highly exothermic dissolution of CaCl2 signifies a chemical reaction.