Classify the following as chemical change or physical change: Dissolving common salt in water.

Answer: Dissolving common salt (sodium chloride) in water is a physical change.

Why this is a physical change

When salt dissolves, the solid lattice separates into sodium (Na+) and chloride (Cl–) ions that become surrounded by water molecules. No new chemical substances are formed and the process is reversible—salt can be recovered by evaporating the water.

Quick checks that support this

• No permanent color change or gas appears.
• The identity of the ions remains the same; only their physical arrangement changes.
• Reversibility: evaporating the solvent returns solid salt.