To examine the nature of the following changes and whether they can be reversed or not;
(a) Disappearance of common salt on dissolving in water.
(b) Cutting of potato
Some changes are slow, while others are rapid; some are natural, while others are man-made. You will notice that many changes are occurring around us, such as the growth of plants on your balcony, a change in colour, and the drying of leaves. There are two types of changes, reversible changes, and irreversible changes.
Reversible process is defined as the original form of a substance can be retained by any physical process. Reversible changes include melting, boiling, evaporation, freezing, condensation, and disintegration. Melting wax, freezing ice, and boiling water that evaporates as steam and condenses back to water are a few examples.
Reactions occur when two or more substances known as reactants interact to form a product (s). A double headed arrow (⇌) connects the reactants and products created in a reversible process. This indicates that reactants can be recovered from the products.
Consider the reaction below,
W +X ⇌ Y + Z
Here, W and X are the reactants which react to give Y and Z. The two-headed arrow indicates that the reaction is reversible and the reactants, W and X can be obtained from Y and Z.
An irreversible process is one in which the system and its surroundings cannot revert to their original conditions. Irreversible modifications are caused by procedures such as heating, burning, combining, and powdering. Cooking raw eggs, which cannot be changed back to their original form, is a typical observable example. Another example is ash produced by the burning of paper or any other product.
When a reaction occurs in a single direction, it is referred to be an irreversible reaction. In such reactions, reactants totally react over time to generate a product. A one-way arrow (→) denotes response here.
Consider the reaction below,
X → Y +Z
Here, X is the reactant which is completely converted into products Y and Z which do not react to form X.
Dissolving common salt in water is a physical change because the process can be reversed. If we boil the saltwater solution, the water will be evaporated, and the salt can be obtained. The evaporated water can be condensed to liquid form again. Hence, it is a reversible process.
On cutting the potato it was converted into pieces. However, there was no way to get back the material (potato) to its original shape and size. Hence, it is an irreversible process.
