Colton has an ice cube that has a mass of 4 grams. He places it in a sealed container and then puts it in the microwave on high.
The ice cube melts after a few seconds. He removes the sealed container with the melted ice cube and checks the mass again. Which sentence best describes what Colton discovers?
A) The mass of the melted ice cube was less than 4 grams.
B) The mass of the melted ice cube was more than 4 grams.
C) The mass of the melted ice cube could not be determined.
D) The mass of the melted ice cube remained the same at 4 grams.
The sentence that best describes what Colton discovers is D) The mass of the melted ice cube remained the same at 4 grams.
<h2>Why?</h2>
The melting of the ice cube is a physical process. That means that it is a process in which the identity of the substance (water) doesn't change, but only how their molecules are arranged.
In melting, a substance in the solid state changes to the liquid state. Its molecules go from having a definite volume and shape to having the same shape as the container that holds it, but there are no changes in the mass of the substance.
If the container is closed, Colton should record the same mass as the initial one, as mass doesn't change in physical processes.
When water molecules are heated, they exchange freely with the air in a process called evaporation. Ocean water is constantly evaporating, increasing the temperature and humidity of the surrounding air to form rain and storms that are then carried by trade winds.
