Which statement best describes a chemical reaction involving rearrangement?

• A. The breaking of all bonds without forming new bonds
• B. The dissolution of substances in water
• C. The rearrangement of elements in compounds
• D. A change in state from solid to liquid

Answer: (C)

Rearrangement reactions reorganize how atoms are connected within a molecule. The same elements are present, but bonds are broken and re-formed to create a different arrangement, producing a new structural form or isomer. This is exactly what the idea of rearranging elements in compounds captures: the atoms stay the same, but their connections change.

Dissolving in water involves separating particles in a solvent and is not about changing how a molecule’s atoms are bonded. A change in state from solid to liquid is a physical change, not a chemical rearrangement of bonds. Breaking all bonds without forming new ones isn’t a typical chemical reaction and wouldn’t yield a stable product with a new arrangement of atoms.