* Chemical Change: Involves the formation of new substances with different chemical properties.
* Physical Change: Only alters the appearance or state of matter, not the chemical composition.
The Reaction:
When green copper carbonate (CuCO₃) is heated, it decomposes into black copper oxide (CuO), carbon dioxide (CO₂), and water (H₂O).
Equation:
CuCO₃ (green) → CuO (black) + CO₂ + H₂O
Key Points:
* New substances: Copper oxide, carbon dioxide, and water are formed, which are different from the original copper carbonate.
* Chemical composition changed: The arrangement of atoms has changed, resulting in new substances.
* Irreversible: You cannot easily reverse the process to get back the original copper carbonate.
Therefore, the change in color and the formation of new substances indicate a chemical change has occurred.