Which statement best illustrates the difference between a chemical reaction and a nuclear reaction?

• A. Chemical reactions involve changes in electron arrangements, while nuclear reactions involve changes in the nucleus of atoms.
• B. Chemical reactions always release more energy than nuclear reactions.
• C. Chemical reactions change the identity of elements, while nuclear reactions do not.
• D. Nuclear reactions only occur at room temperature, while chemical reactions require high temperatures.

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the fundamental difference between chemical and nuclear reactions. Chemical reactions involve changes in the arrangement of electrons around atoms, while nuclear reactions involve changes within the nucleus of an atom.
2. Step 2: Recall that chemical reactions typically involve making or breaking chemical bonds, which changes how atoms are connected but does not change the identity of the elements themselves.
3. Step 3: Recognize that nuclear reactions can change one element into another by altering the number of protons or neutrons in the nucleus, which is a key distinction from chemical reactions.
4. Step 4: Consider the energy involved: nuclear reactions generally release much more energy than chemical reactions, so the statement claiming chemical reactions always release more energy is incorrect.
5. Step 5: Evaluate the temperature conditions: nuclear reactions can occur under various conditions, not only at room temperature, and chemical reactions can occur at a wide range of temperatures, so the temperature-based statement is not accurate.