Chemical Changes
Chemical changes take place on the molecular level. A chemical change produces a new substance.
Examples of chemical changes include combustion (burning), cooking an egg, rusting of an iron pan,
and mixing hydrochloric acid and sodium hydroxide to make salt and water.
Physical Changes
Physical changes are concerned with energy and states of matter. A physical change does not produce
a new substance. Changes in state or phase (melting, freezing, vaporization, condensation,
sublimation) are physical changes. Examples of physical changes include crushing a can, melting an
ice cube, and breaking a bottle.
How to Tell Chemical & Physical Changes Apart
A chemical change makes a substance that wasn't there before. There may be clues that a chemical
reaction took place, such as light, heat, color change, gas production, odor, or sound. The starting and
ending materials of a physical change are the same, even though they may look different.
Are you confused about the difference between chemical changes and physical changes and how to
tell them apart? In a nutshell, a chemical change produces a new substance, while a physical change
does not. A material may change shapes or forms while undergoing a physical change, but no
chemical reactions occur and no new compounds are produced.
Examples of Chemical Changes
burning wood
dissolving salt in water
mixing acid and base
digesting food
Examples of Physical Changes
crumpling a sheet of paper
melting an ice cube
casting silver in a mold
breaking a bottle
How to Tell?
Look for an indication that a chemical change occurred. Chemical reactions release or absorb heat or
other energy or may produce a gas, odor, color or sound. If you don't see any of these indications, a
physical change likely occurred.
In some cases, it may be hard to tell whether a chemical or physical change occurred. For example,
when you dissolve sugar in water, a physical change occurs. The form of the sugar changes, but it
remains the same chemically (sucrose molecules). However, when you dissolve salt in water the salt
dissociates into its ions (from NaCl into Na+ and Cl-) so a chemical change occurs. In both cases a white
solid dissolves into a clear liquid and in both cases you can recover the starting material by removing
the water, yet the processes are not the same.
Question: What Is the Difference Between a Chemical Property and a Physical Property?
A chemical property and a physical property are related to chemical and physical changes of matter.
Answer: A physical property is an aspect of matter that can be observed or measured without
changing it. Examples of physical properties include color, molecular weight and volume.
A chemical property may only be observed by changing the chemical identity of a substance. This
property measures the potential for undergoing a chemical change. Examples of chemical properties
include reactivity, flammability and oxidation states
Physical Change Examples
Physical changes involve states of matter and energy. No new substance is created during a physical
change, although the matter takes a different form. The size, shape, and color of matter may change.
Also, physical changes occur when substances are mixed, but don't chemically react. One way to
identify a physical change is that such a changes may be reversible, especially phase changes. For
example, if you freeze an ice cube, you can melt it into water again. This is a list of 10 examples of
physical changes.
1. crushing a can
2. melting an ice cube
3. boiling water
4. mixing sand and water
5. breaking a glass
6. dissolving sugar and water
7. shredding paper
8. chopping wood
9. mixing red and green marbles
10. sublimating dry ice
Chemical Change Examples
Chemical changes involve chemical reactions and the creation of new products. Typically, a chemical
change is irreversible. This is a list of 10 examples of chemical changes.
1. rusting of iron
2. combustion (burning) of wood
3. metabolism of food in the body
4. mixing an acid and a base, such as hydrochloric acid (HCl) and sodium hydroxide (NaOH)
5. cooking an egg
6. digesting sugar with the amylase in saliva
7. mixing baking soda and vinegar to produce carbon dioxide gas
8. baking a cake
9. electroplating a metal
10. using a chemical battery
