In this Article, We would like to study about Physical change and Chemical Change. physical and chemical change is an important topic in the field of science and it is important to recognize the type of changes in a process to determine the outcomes. By the end of this article, we will cover basic definition of physical and chemical change and will look at the different example of physical and chemical changes to build deep understanding.
Chemical Change
It is a process in which parent material transformed into new material with different chemical properties.
Conditions for chemical change
a. There is change in chemical composition of the parent material
b. New product is formed.
c. Cannot get parent material from newly made product( Process is irreversible)
Physical change
It is a process in which shape and size of the parent material changes but chemical composition remain the same.
Condition for Physical change
a. There is change in shape or size of the parent material.
b. There should not be change in composition of the material.
c. Only physical properties such as shape size or state of matter is changed.
Physical and Chemical change example-1
Heating of water is an example of physical change.
What do you think, about heating the water, what changes do you see in the water?
Because this fulfill the following conditions
- i) There is no change in composition of the water.
- ii) There is change state of water from liquid to vapour.
- iii) Vapour can be converted into water.
So heating of water is an example of physical change.
Now coming to the example
Note: The chemical composition of water, ice, and vapor are similar, so changing the state of water by changing temperature is an example of physical change.
Physical and Chemical change example-2
Mixing salt in water and heating it is what kind of change?
This is an example of physical change because
a. There is no substance is formed.
b. We can get pure water from salted water.
c. Process is reversible.
Note: In this process salt dissolved in water and breakdown in ions of sodium and chlorine. This process is completely reversible and classified as physical change.
Physical and Chemical change example-3
Is painting the wall a chemical change or a physical change?
This is an example of physical change because
a. There is no change in chemical composition of wall.
b. Paints can be removed from wall or removed itself after few years.
Keep in Mind
- Change in color cannot be a reliable indicator of chemical or physical change.
- Change in temperature cannot be a reliable indicator of chemical or physical change.
Physical and Chemical change example-4
What kind of change is making flour from wheat?
What is the change in making bread from flour?
- In the process of making flour from wheat, big grains of wheat are changed into small grains, in this process, there is no change in the chemical composition of wheat, so the change from wheat to flour is a physical change.
- If you have a piece of paper and tear it into pieces, no new product is formed in it and this is a physical change, just like the process of making flour from wheat will also be a chemical change.
- In the process of making bread from flour, the chemical composition of flour changes, because we use water in the process of kneading the dough and water changes the properties of the flour and this change is irreversible. It is impossible to get dough from the re-kneaded dough. That it’s a chemical change.
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Physical and Chemical change example-5
Falling of leaves from a tree a physical change or a chemical change?
After the leaves fall from the tree, is the drying up of the leaves with time a physical change or a chemical change?
When a leaf falls from a tree, it does not change the chemical composition of the tree, just the place from where it falls becomes empty. But with time leaves come again at that place, and the so falling of leaves from the tree is a reversible change, which is an indicator of a physical change, That’s why falling of leaves from a tree is an example of a physical change.
When the leaf falls apart from the tree, then all the nutrients it gets from the tree stop, due to which the leaf starts decomposing and slowly starts converting from organic substance to inorganic substance. There are a lot of changes in the colour of the leaf, its chemical compositions, properties, etc. Therefore drying up of the leaves is a chemical change.
Difference between Physical and chemical change
| S.NO | Physical Change | Chemical Change |
| 1. | No change in the composition of the material. | This will happen when there is a change in the composition of the material. |
| 2. | No new product formed. | Whatever material you have taken, a new product should be made from it. |
| 3. | It can be reversible. | From the newly made product, you cannot get the parent material means which you had taken in the beginning. This means chemical changes are not reversible |
| 4. | Melting or boiling of the material is a physical change. | A change in any object’s melting point and boiling point is a chemical change. |
| 5. | Examples- Tearing of Paper, Chopping Wood, Painting wall, etc. | Wax melting, making curd from milk, Making bread, etc. |
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Multiple Choice Questions on Physical and Chemical change
Q. 1) Which of the following is not an Example of Physical Change?
i) wall paint
ii) leaves falling from trees
iii) leaf color change
iv) tear paper
Answer- (iii)
Q. 2) Which of the following is not an Example of Physical Change?
i) adding water to milk
ii) heating water
iii) chopping wood
iv) Holi color on face
Answer. (i)
Q. 3) Which of the following is not an Example of Chemical Change?
i) Making curd from milk
ii) Leaf color change
iii )Leaves falling from trees
iv)Candle melt
Answer- (iii)
Q. 4) Which of the following is not an Example of Chemical Change?
i) Cheese making from milk
ii) Change in food taste
iii) Painting window frames
iv) Making bread
Answer- (iii)
Q. 5) Choose the different one ?
i) Wood burning
ii) Candle burning
iii) extracting butter from curd
iv) heating water
Answer. (iv)