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

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

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the definitions: A physical property is a characteristic of a substance that can be observed or measured without changing the substance's identity, such as color, melting point, or density.
2. A chemical property describes a substance's ability to undergo a specific chemical change or reaction, which alters its chemical identity.
3. Analyze the property in question: The ability of a substance to support combustion involves a chemical reaction with oxygen, producing new substances (like CO2 and H2O).
4. Since combustion changes the chemical composition of the substance, this property reflects how the substance behaves chemically rather than just physically.
5. Therefore, the ability to support combustion is classified as a chemical property.