Physical vs. Chemical Change

Front

What is a physical change?

Back

A physical change is a change that affects one or more physical properties of a substance without altering its chemical composition. Examples include melting, freezing, and dissolving.

Front

What is a chemical change?

Back

A chemical change is a change that results in the formation of new chemical substances. It involves a chemical reaction and includes processes like burning, rusting, and digestion.

Front

What are signs of a chemical reaction?

Back

Signs of a chemical reaction include the formation of a gas, color change, temperature change, and the formation of a precipitate.

Front

Is melting ice a physical or chemical change?

Back

Melting ice is a physical change because it changes from solid to liquid without altering its chemical structure.

Front

What happens to the mass of a substance during a physical change?

Back

The mass of a substance remains the same during a physical change, as no new substances are formed.

Front

What happens to the mass of a substance during a chemical change?

Back

The mass of a substance is conserved during a chemical change, but it may appear to change due to the formation of new substances.

Front

What are chemical properties?

Back

Chemical properties are characteristics that can only be observed when a substance undergoes a chemical change, such as reactivity with acids or bases.

Front

What are physical properties?

Back

Physical properties are characteristics that can be observed or measured without changing the substance's chemical identity, such as color, melting point, and density.

Front

Give an example of a physical change.

Back

An example of a physical change is breaking a glass or chopping wood.

Front

Give an example of a chemical change.

Back

An example of a chemical change is burning wood or rusting iron.