What is the difference between a physical change and a chemical change?

Targets

At the end of this Unit you should be able to answer the following questions 

1. What are the properties of solids, liquids, and gases?

1.1 What are the properties of water?

1.2 How can mixtures be identified?

1.3 How can mixtures be separated?

2. What is a chemical reaction?

2.1 What is the difference between a physical change and chemical change?

targets

When two substances are mixed together, their original characteristics and properties may change.

Scientists usually group these changes into two categories:

  • Physical changes involve change in only the shape, state, or appearance of a substance, but the actual matter remains the same.
  • Chemical changes produce a new substance.

Sometimes, telling the two types of changes apart can be tricky. You will be testing several types of everyday physical and chemical changes to see if you can tell the difference!

Look at the following pictures. Can you tell if the changes are physical or chemical? Here’s a hint: Ask yourself if a new substance has been produced.

Click on Physical or Chemical for each, then check your answers.

Unsplash