Physical Changes in Matter

What is the primary characteristic of a physical change?

• A new substance is always formed.

• The matter changes size, shape, or state, but remains the same substance.

• The change is always irreversible.

• Only the color of the substance is affected.

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Which of the following scenarios represents a physical change?

• Baking a cake from raw ingredients.

• Burning wood to produce ash and smoke.

• Tearing a piece of paper into smaller pieces.

• An iron nail rusting over time.

When water changes from a liquid to a gas (steam), what type of change is it?

• A chemical change, because a new substance is formed.

• A physical change, because it is still water.

• A chemical change, because its state changes.

• Neither a physical nor a chemical change.

Think about reversing physical changes (doing them backwards), which statement is true?

• All physical changes are always reversible.

• Physical changes are never reversible.

• Some physical changes can be reversed, while others might be permanent.

• Reversibility is a characteristic exclusive to chemical changes.