A student combined water, sugar, and salt in a beaker. Which of the following statements is true?
A.) the individual substances can be separated by physical means
B.) the individual substances cannot by separated by physical means
C.) a new substance is made of two or more elements chemically combined
D.) a new substance is made containing atoms that have been rearranged

Question

A student combined water, sugar, and salt in a beaker. Which of the following statements is true? 
A.) the individual substances can be separated by physical means
B.) the individual substances cannot by separated by physical means
C.) a new substance is made of two or more elements chemically combined
D.) a new substance is made containing atoms that have been rearranged

anonymous · Answer

@Isaiah.Feynman

isaiah.feynman · Answer

I'm not quite sure here.

anonymous · Answer

Me either but it may be B @Isaiah.Feynman

anonymous · Answer

Actually A maybe.

anonymous · Answer

Until you put so much in that they cannot dissolve, both sugar and salt will dissolve, meaning break up into their molecular/atomic constituents, and cannot be removed by filtration ("physical means"). They do not react, forming new substances.

anonymous · Answer

So you think it is A? @douglaswinslowcooper

anonymous · Answer

I am torn between A and B and "physical means." There are deionizers (e.g., reverse osmosis) that will remove ions, like Na, from water. Normally, "physical means" would seem to be filtration, which would not work. Sorry.

anonymous · Answer

Thanks for medal. Glad I was some help.

anonymous · Answer

No problem, I am just choosing A. @douglaswinslowcooper