Which type of change occurs when a solution is heated and water is removed by evaporation?

• A. No change occurs
• B. Chemical change
• C. Nuclear change
• D. Physical change

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the difference between physical and chemical changes: A physical change affects the form or appearance of a substance but does not change its chemical composition, while a chemical change results in the formation of new substances with different properties.
2. Identify what happens when a solution is heated and water evaporates: Heating causes the water molecules to gain enough energy to transition from the liquid phase to the gas phase, leaving behind the dissolved substances.
3. Recognize that evaporation is a phase change, which is a type of physical change because the chemical identity of water remains the same; only its physical state changes from liquid to gas.
4. Confirm that no new substances are formed during evaporation, so no chemical bonds are broken or formed, which rules out a chemical change.
5. Conclude that since the process involves only a change in physical state without altering the chemical composition, the correct classification of the change is a physical change.