A student performs the following experiment.Step 1: She pours a colorless solution into a beaker that contains another colorless liquid. Yellow particles appear in the liquid.Step 2: She lets the yellow particles settle in the beaker and then separates the colorless liquid by decantation.What has most likely occurred in the beaker?

The appearance of yellow particles when two colorless solutions are mixed suggests a new solid formed, which is evidence of a chemical change in step 1. In step 2, decantation separates the settled solid from the liquid without changing the substances’ identities, so it is a physical change. Therefore, choice A, a chemical change followed by a physical change, is correct.

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