When a penny, which is primarily made of copper, is placed in nitric acid, a chemical change occurs. Nitric acid reacts with copper, leading to the formation of copper nitrate, nitrogen dioxide gas, and water. This reaction results in the formation of new substances and involves a change in the chemical composition of the materials, which is characteristic of a chemical change. Physical changes, on the other hand, do not alter the chemical composition of a substance.
When you put a penny with nitric acid, would that be a physical change or a chemical change?
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