What are the differences between physical and chemical reactions in chemistry?

Discussion Question 1

Using the South University Online Library or the Internet, research elements and compounds. On the basis of your research, respond to the following:

• What are the differences between physical and chemical properties in chemistry?
• What are the differences between physical and chemical reactions in chemistry?
• What are the characteristics that make elements different from compounds? Give two examples of each that exist in the human body and explain their function.

 Discussion Question 2

Using the South University Online Library or the Internet, research any one element. On the basis of your research, provide:

• What are isotopes and how are isotopes distinguished from one another?
• How can isotopes be used in medicine (be specific)? Describe in detail one example of how an isotope is used therapeutically, and describe another example of how an isotope is used diagnostically in medicine.

Sample Solution

Discussion Question 1:

Physical properties in chemistry refer to those properties that can be observed and measured without changing the composition of a substance. These properties include color, melting point, boiling point, density, and others. Chemical properties, on the other hand, refer to the ability of a substance to undergo chemical reactions and change into a different substance. These properties include flammability, reactivity with acids, and others.

Physical reactions are those that do not change the chemical composition of a substance, such as changes in state (e.g. melting, freezing) or changes in shape. Chemical reactions, on the other hand, result in the formation of a new substance with different chemical properties.

Elements are pure substances that cannot be broken down into simpler substances by chemical means. They consist of only one type of atom. Compounds, on the other hand, are made up of two or more different types of atoms chemically combined in a fixed ratio. Two examples of elements in the human body are oxygen and carbon, which are both essential for respiration and energy production. Two examples of compounds in the human body are water (H2O), which is essential for life and helps regulate body temperature, and sodium chloride (NaCl), which is important for maintaining fluid balance and transmitting nerve impulses.

Discussion Question 2:

An element is a pure substance that cannot be broken down into simpler substances by chemical means. One example of an element is carbon. Carbon has six protons and its most common isotope, carbon-12, has six neutrons. Isotopes are atoms of the same element that have different numbers of neutrons in the nucleus, resulting in a different atomic mass.

Isotopes can be distinguished from one another by their atomic mass. For example, carbon-12 has an atomic mass of 12 amu, while carbon-13, which has seven neutrons, has an atomic mass of 13 amu.

Isotopes can be used in medicine both diagnostically and therapeutically. One example of a therapeutic use of isotopes is in radiation therapy for cancer. Radioactive isotopes such as iodine-131 or cesium-137 are used to target…NEED A COMPREHENSIVE ANSWER? POST YOUR ORDER