When the weather starts to cool down, some people in the Midwest like to toast marshmallows over a fire to make a dessert sandwich called a s'more. A marshmallow was toasted at a constant temperature in a laboratory. Use the gif and table below to answer the following questions.

Question

Before (Mass) - 25.21 g (odor) - slight sweet smell (temperature) - 23 degrees Celsius (texture) squishy
After (mass) - 23.78 g (odor) smell of burned sugar and sweetness (temperature) 105 degrees celsius (texture)crumbly with a liquid center
CLAIM
is toasting a marshmallow a chemical or physical change?
Answer: toasting a marshmallow is a chemical change.
EVIDENCE AND REASONING
Look at your answer for the previous question. Why did you decide that toasting a marshmallow was a chemical change, physical change, or neither? Make sure to explain what data you used to make that decision. You should show that you understand the difference between a chemical and a physical change.
I decided toasting marshmallows is _____ because _____. In the table it shows _____. In the gif it shows _____. This supports my choice because _____/

Answer 1

I decided toasting marshmallows is a chemical change because the properties of the marshmallow significantly altered during the toasting process. In the table, it shows that the mass of the marshmallow decreased from 25.21 g to 23.78 g, indicating that some components were altered or lost as it was toasted. Additionally, the odor changed to a smell of burned sugar and sweetness, which is a sign of new compounds forming through chemical reactions. The texture also transformed from squishy to crumbly with a liquid center, indicating a change in the composition of the marshmallow.

In the gif, if it demonstrated the process of the marshmallow browning and possibly caramelizing, that would further illustrate the chemical changes taking place. This supports my choice because physical changes typically involve alterations in state or appearance without changing the substance's chemical identity, while in this case, the marshmallow is no longer the same substance as it undergoes reactions that produce new smells, flavors, and textures.