A white solid with a melting point of 730 °C is melted. When electricity is passed through the resultant liquid, a brown gas and a molten metal are produced. Neither the metal nor the gas can be broken down into anything simpler by chemical means. Classify each—the white solid, the molten metal, and the brown gas—as a mixture, a compound, or an element.

Question

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Welcome back, everyone. A yellow solid is exposed to sunlight resulting in a white metal and an orange gas. Neither the metal nor the gas can be further decomposed by chemical processes. Identify the elements and compounds among the yellow solid, white metal and orange gas. We've got choices A through D which list different combinations of the element or compounds based on the three states of matter described in our prompt. So we're going to first recall that an element or elements in general cannot be further decomposed and it's broken down. Whereas recall that compounds actually are able to be further decomposed. Anne's broken down. So with this outlined, because the prompt states that the metal and the gas cannot be further broken down by chemical processes, then that means that therefore the metal and the gas are going to be elements. And so looking at our answer choices, we're going to rule out the answer choices which list the yellow solid as the element. That's because the yellow solid is certainly going to be able to further be broken down because it represents a compound. So choice A lists the yellow solid as an element. We would rule choice A out, we can also rule out choice B because it lists the yellow solid as an element along with the white metal. And choice A is also incorrect because it falsely labels the orange gas as a compound when it should really be an element along with the metal as an element too. And the same thing goes for a choice B, it incorrectly lists the orange gas as a compound, which it should be an element since it cannot be further broken down. So that leaves us between choices C and D where choice C states that the element is the white metal and orange gas and the compound is the yellow solid. So we can agree with choice C. So far, we'll place a check mark there because the yellow solid can be further broken down being a compound. But the element being the white metal and orange gas cannot be further broken down as stated in the prompt. So choice D differs because it lists the element as only the white metal and the compounds as the yellow solid and orange gas. And as we agreed, the only compound should be the only thing that is able to be further broken down, which is the yellow solid. So choice D, we would rule out because it incorrectly lists the orange gas as a compound and fails to list it as an element. So that leaves us with choice C as our final answer, which identifies the elements and compounds as the yellow solid being the compound and the elements being the white metal and orange gas. I hope this made sense and let us know if you have any questions.

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Key Concepts

Elements, Compounds, and Mixtures

Electrolysis

Physical and Chemical Properties