A student dissolves table salt (NaCl) into water. After the water evaporates, salt crystals remain. What kind of change occurred?

Question

A. Physical Change because the salt can be recovered
B. Chemical Change because the salt and water reacted
C. Both a physical and chemical change occurred
D. No change occurred

Answer 1

The correct answer is A. Physical Change because the salt can be recovered.

When table salt (NaCl) dissolves in water, it separates into its ions, but no new substances are formed. Evaporating the water simply restores the original salt without altering its chemical structure. Therefore, this process is classified as a physical change.