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What does the passage of an electric current through water demonstrate about water?

  1. It is a compound

  2. It is an element

  3. It is a pure substance

  4. It is a gas

The correct answer is: It is an element

The passage of an electric current through water demonstrates that water is a compound. Water, chemically represented as H2O, consists of two hydrogen atoms bonded to one oxygen atom, which is characteristic of a compound. Compounds are substances formed when two or more different elements chemically combine in fixed proportions. When an electric current is passed through water, it can lead to electrolysis, a process where water is split into hydrogen and oxygen gases. This further illustrates that water is not a single elemental substance but a combination of different elements, confirming its status as a compound. In contrast, elements are pure substances that cannot be broken down into simpler substances and are represented on the periodic table. While water is indeed a pure substance, it is specifically a compound made from elements. Additionally, water in its usual form is a liquid at room temperature, not a gas.