When anhydrous cobalt chloride paper is exposed to water, what color change is observed?

Answer Details

When anhydrous cobalt chloride paper is exposed to water, the color change observed is from blue to pink.

Anhydrous cobalt chloride paper is a type of paper that contains cobalt chloride in a dry form. Cobalt chloride is a chemical compound that can exist in both anhydrous (without water) and hydrated (with water) form.

In its anhydrous form, cobalt chloride appears as blue crystals. These crystals do not contain any water molecules. When anhydrous cobalt chloride is exposed to water, it undergoes a chemical reaction called hydration.

During hydration, water molecules are absorbed by the cobalt chloride crystals, resulting in the formation of hydrated cobalt chloride. The hydrated form of cobalt chloride is pink in color.

So, when anhydrous cobalt chloride paper comes into contact with water, the blue crystals of cobalt chloride change into pink crystals of hydrated cobalt chloride. This color change is a clear indication that water is present.

Therefore, the color change observed when anhydrous cobalt chloride paper is exposed to water is from blue to pink.