Is the ability of a substance to support combustion considered a physical property or a chemical property?

• A. Chemical property
• B. Both physical and chemical property
• C. Physical property
• D. Neither physical nor chemical property

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the difference between physical and chemical properties. Physical properties can be observed or measured without changing the substance's identity, such as color, melting point, or density.
2. Step 2: Recognize that chemical properties describe a substance's ability to undergo changes that transform it into different substances, such as reactivity with oxygen, acidity, or flammability.
3. Step 3: Analyze the property in question: the ability of a substance to support combustion involves a chemical reaction with oxygen, producing new substances (like carbon dioxide and water).
4. Step 4: Since combustion changes the chemical identity of the substance, this property is classified as a chemical property.
5. Step 5: Conclude that the ability to support combustion is a chemical property, not a physical property.