How can compounds be broken apart?
1 Answer
Compounds can be broken apart in chemical reactions called decomposition reactions.
For example, water can be broken down into the diatomic elements hydrogen gas and oxygen gas in a chemical reaction called electrolysis.
Sodium chloride can also be broken down into elemental sodium and chlorine gas by electrolysis.
Some compounds undergo thermal decomposition when they are heated. For example, copper(II) carbonate decomposes when heated into copper(II) oxide and carbon dioxide gas.
