Which of the following is an example of a physical property? a substance's ability to

• A. Dissolve in water
• B. React with an acid
• C. Oxidize a compound
• D. Decompose

Answer: (A)

Physical properties are things you can observe without turning a substance into something new. Dissolving in water shows solubility, a physical property, because the substance’s chemical identity doesn’t change—the dissolved material can be recovered by a simple physical process like evaporating the water, leaving the original substance intact. The other options involve chemical changes: reacting with an acid creates new substances, oxidation changes the substance’s chemical state, and decomposition breaks it into simpler substances. So dissolving in water is the clear example of a physical property.