Physical Change or Chemical Change?

By: H. Marcum

What is the difference?

A physical changes can be reversed.

Water can change to a gas, to a solid and back to water. This is an example of physical change.

Physical change can change shapes

A tree to a baseball bat is a physical change, because it remains wood.

Chemical change

When wood burns it goes through a chemical change.

Is this a Chemical change?

This is an example of a chemical change, as it would be very difficult to

get back to original forms

What happens when bread is toasted?

This is another example of a chemical change.We cannot undo the toast.

Is changing clay to pots a physical or chemical change?

If you said physical you are correct. It is still clay, just in a different shape.

Some elements can be changed physically or chemically.

Periodic Table

Is determining changes all clear cut?

Not at all. Some changes are so minute we must use a microscope to determine the type of change that occurred. Others are easier to determine the type of change. A question to ask yourself is can I change it back to its original state; if not you may have a chemical change.