Steel wool is often used to clean up pans. Steel wool is mostly iron (Fe). In fact, steel is an iron alloy: iron with about 2% carbon. In lab, you burn steel wool, creating quite a spectacular glowing mass. What kind of property is being demonstrated, and how do you know? Responses A Burning steel wool demonstrates a chemical property, flammability.Burning steel wool demonstrates a chemical property, flammability. B Burning steel wool demonstrates the physical property because heat is being produced.Burning steel wool demonstrates the physical property because heat is being produced. C Burning steel wool demonstrates a physical property because a color change is being observed.Burning steel wool demonstrates a physical property because a color change is being observed. D Burning steel wool demonstrates a chemical property, observing the melting point of the iron.Burning steel wool demonstrates a chemical property, observing the melting point of the iron. Skip to navigation © Progress Learning 2024, All Rights Reserved. Terms

Answer 1

The correct response is:

A: Burning steel wool demonstrates a chemical property, flammability.

When steel wool is burned, it reacts with oxygen and undergoes a chemical change, producing new substances (iron oxides) and releasing heat and light in the form of a glow. The flammability of the steel wool is a chemical property because it involves the substance reacting with another material (oxygen) to produce different products. The process is not just a physical change, as the original composition of the steel wool is altered. Responses B, C, and D incorrectly imply that the observed phenomena are solely physical properties, which do not involve chemical reactions or changes in chemical composition.