Which of the following is a physical property of silver?

• A. Silver forms a black precipitate when exposed to hydrogen sulfide.
• B. Silver has a melting point of 961.8 °C.
• C. Silver reacts with hydrochloric acid to produce hydrogen gas.
• D. Silver is oxidized by nitric acid to form AgNO_3.

Answer: (B)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the difference between physical and chemical properties. A physical property can be observed or measured without changing the substance's chemical identity, while a chemical property describes how a substance reacts to form new substances.
2. Analyze each statement to determine if it describes a physical or chemical property:
3. 1. "Silver forms a black precipitate when exposed to hydrogen sulfide" describes a chemical change because a new substance (silver sulfide) is formed.
4. 2. "Silver has a melting point of 961.8 °C" describes a physical property because melting point is a characteristic that does not involve changing the chemical identity of silver.
5. 3. "Silver reacts with hydrochloric acid to produce hydrogen gas" and 4. "Silver is oxidized by nitric acid to form AgNO_3" both describe chemical properties because they involve chemical reactions producing new substances.