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Chemistry

Give a reason why —

(a) Heating a platinum wire is a reversible change but, heating a magnesium wire is an irreversible change.

(b) Addition of zinc nitrate to water is a physical change but, addition of zinc to dilute nitric acid is a chemical change.

(c) Rusting of iron is a chemical change but, magnetization of iron is a physical change.

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Answer

(a) Heating a platinum wire is a temporary change that gets reversed on cooling the wire. Moreover, the composition and properties of platinum does not change. Hence, it is a reversible change. On burning magnesium wire, a new product [magnesium oxide] is formed. Hence, we cannot recover magnesium back, so it is an irreversible change.

(b) On adding zinc nitrate to water, it dissolves and no new product is formed. The reaction is reversible, hence it is a physical change.
On reacting zinc with dil. nitric acid, hydrogen gas is released and zinc nitrate is formed. The change is irreversible hence it is a chemical change.

(c) Rusting of iron is a chemical change because a new product iron oxide [rust] is formed after the reaction and the reaction is irreversible.
Magnetization of iron is a physical change because on hammering, the iron nail gets demagnetized and we get the original product back. The reaction is reversible.

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