Obi is trying to determine if a powdery, solid substance is an element or a compound. after recording some observations, he strongly heats a sample of the solid over a burner flame. after fifteen minutes, he turns off the flame and allows the sample to cool. he records his final observations in the data table. which is the best explanation of his results? the heating changed some of the sample to gas, causing the mass to decrease without breaking down the sample. therefore, the original sample is a compound. the appearance stayed the same, showing that the sample was not broken down by heating. therefore, the original substance is an element. the mass decreased during heating and some of the impurities escaped. therefore, the original substance is an element. the chemical reaction with acid changed, showing that the sample was broken down by heating. therefore, the original substance is a compound.