Question

Fact: When heated, baking soda breaks down into three compounds: sodium carbonate, carbon dioxide, and water.

Situation:
Amy thinks that because baking soda is a solid, all of the substances it breaks down into must also be solids.

Based on the given information, is Amy correct, and why or why not?

Responses

Yes, because a chemical reaction only occurs when the reactants and products are in the same phase.
Yes, because a chemical reaction only occurs when the reactants and products are in the same phase.

Yes, because when a substance breaks down, it always breaks down into other substances in the same phase.
Yes, because when a substance breaks down, it always breaks down into other substances in the same phase.

No, because chemical reactions do not change physical properties such as phase.
No, because chemical reactions do not change physical properties such as phase.

No, because physical properties can change during a chemical reaction.

Answer 1

No, because physical properties can change during a chemical reaction.

Amy is not correct because the breakdown of baking soda when heated results in the formation of carbon dioxide, which is a gas, while sodium carbonate is a solid and water can exist as either a liquid or a gas at certain temperatures depending on conditions. Chemical reactions can produce substances in different phases, and the phase of the products does not need to match the phase of the starting material.