Question 1

Question

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.



Mass Odor Temperature Texture
Before 25.21 g Slight sweet smell 23 °C Squishy
After 23.78 g Smell of burned sugar and sweetness 105 °C Crumbly with a liquid center
Claim

Is toasting a marshmallow a chemical or physical change?

(1 point)
Responses

Toasting a marshmallow is a chemical change.
Toasting a marshmallow is a chemical change.

Toasting a marshmallow is not a chemical change. It is only a physical change.
Toasting a marshmallow is not a chemical change. It is only a physical change.

Toasting a marshmallow is not a chemical or physical change.
Toasting a marshmallow is not a chemical or physical change.
Question 2
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.

Optional Sentence Starters:

I decided toasting marshmallows is ___________ because __________________.

In the table it shows __________________.

In the gif it shows ________________.

This supports my choice because ___________.



Grading Rubric

2 point - clearly explain why you chose a physical change, chemical change, or neither for the previous question (make sure to use key terms)

1 point - use data from the gif and the table to support your answer

1 point - write in full sentences with proper grammar

(4 points)

Answer 1

Question 1
Toasting a marshmallow is a chemical change.

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Question 2
I decided toasting marshmallows is a chemical change because the process results in a transformation of the marshmallow's chemical composition, which is evident in the data provided.

In the table, it shows that the marshmallow lost mass, going from 25.21 g before to 23.78 g after toasting. This mass loss indicates that some of the marshmallow's components were altered or released as gases during the toasting process. Additionally, the odor changed from a slight sweet smell to the smell of burned sugar and sweetness, suggesting that new compounds were formed as the marshmallow caramelized and burned.

In the gif, it shows the marshmallow changing in texture from squishy to crumbly with a liquid center, indicating that the heat caused chemical reactions that changed its structure.

This supports my choice because these observations of mass loss, odor change, and texture transformation are characteristic of a chemical change, where substances undergo reactions to form new substances instead of just altering their physical state.