Question 4 • PA Human Anatomy & Physiology A 2026-2027 SMITH IC
Students are each given a 20-gram sample of an unknown solid compound in a clear plastic bag. They are instructed to break the material into smaller parts by gently hitting it with a hammer. Some of the parts break into large chunks and some look like a fine powder. Which statement correctly describes these broken pieces of the sample?
Answer
A
The fine powder pieces are individual atoms broken from the solid.
B
The larger pieces are still compounds and the smaller pieces are elements.
C
Each piece contains the same number of atoms.
D
Each piece contains the same proportion of different elements.
Explanation
Breaking the solid with a hammer changes the sizes of the pieces, but it does not separate the compound into its elements. Each piece therefore retains the same proportion of the different elements as the original sample. The pieces can contain different numbers of atoms, so they do not all have the same number of atoms.
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