Physical vs Chemical Changes
Chemical changes make chemical reactions and the creation of new products possible. Typically, a chemical change is irreversible. In contrast, Physical Changes do not form new products and are reversible.
⭐Here are some examples of Chemical Changes:
- The rusting of iron
- Combustion (burning) of wood
- The metabolism of food in the body
- Cooking an egg
- Digesting sugar in saliva
- Baking a cake
- Using a chemical battery
- The explosion of fireworks
- Rotting bananas
- Grilling a hamburger
- Milk going sour
A physical change is a type of change in which the form of matter is altered but one substance is not transformed into another. The size or shape of matter may be changed, but no chemical reaction occurs.
⭐Examples of physical changes include:
- Crumpling a sheet or paper (a good example of a reversible physical change)
- Breaking a pane of glass (the chemical composition of the glass remains the same)
- Freezing water into ice (the chemical formula is not changed)
- Chopping vegetables (cutting separates molecules, but does not alter them)
- Dissolving sugar in water (sugar mixes with water, but the molecules are not changed and may be recovered by boiling off the water)
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Review and Practice
Physical and Chemical Changes
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