PHYSICAL CHANGE

Is a change affecting the form of a chemical substance, but not

its chemical
composition.
Physical
changes
are
used
to
separate mixtures into their component compounds, but cannot usually be
used to separate compounds into chemical elements or simpler compounds.
[1]

Physical changes occur when objects or substances undergo a change

that does not change their chemical composition. This contrasts with the
concept of chemical change in which the composition of a substance
changes or one or more substances combine or break up to form new
substances. In general a physical change is reversible using physical means.
For example, salt dissolved in water can be recovered by allowing the water
to evaporate.
A physical change involves a change in physical properties. Examples
of physical properties include melting, transition to a gas, change of
strength,
change of durability,
changes
to crystal form, textural
change, shape, size, color, volume and density.
An example of a physical change is the process of tempering steel to
form a knife blade. A steel blank is repeatedly heated and hammered which
changes the hardness of the steel, its flexibility and its ability to maintain a
sharp edge.
EXAMPLES:
Heating and Cooling
Many elements and some compounds change from solids to liquids and from
liquids to gases when heated and the reverse when cooled. Some substances
such as iodine and carbon dioxide go directly from solid to gas in a process
called sublimation.
Magnetism
Ferro-magnetic materials can become magnetic. The process is reversible
and does not affect the chemical composition.
Crystallization
Many elements and compounds form crystals. Some such as carbon can form
several
different
forms

including diamond, graphite, graphene and fullerenes including buckminsterf

ullerene.
Crystals in metals have a major effect of the physical properties of the metal
including strength and ductility. Crystal type, shape and size can be altered
by physical hammering, rolling and by heat
Mixtures
Mixtures of substances that are not soluble are usually readily separated by
physical sieving or settlement. However mixtures can have different
properties from the individual components. One familiar example is the
mixture of fine sand with water used to make sandcastles. Neither the sand
on its own nor the water on its own will make a sand-castle but by using
physical properties of surface tension, the mixture behaves in a different
way.
Solutions
Most solutions of salts and some compounds such as sugars can be
separated by evaporation. Others such as mixtures or volatile liquids such as
low molecular weight alcohols can be separated by fractional distillation.
Alloys
The mixing of different metal elements is known as alloying. Brass is an alloy
of copper and zinc. Separating individual metals from an alloy can be difficult
and may require chemical processing making an alloy is an example of a
physical change that cannot readily be undone by physical means. Alloys
where mercury is one of the metals can be separated physically by melting
the alloy and boiling the mercury off as a vapor.

CHEMICAL CHANGE
Occur when a substance combines with another to form a new
substance, called synthesis or, alternatively, decomposes into two or more
different substances. These processes are called chemical reactions and, in
general, are not reversible except by further chemical reactions. Some
reactions produce heat and are called exothermic reactions and others may
require
heat
to
enable
the
reaction
to
occur,
which
are
called endothermic reactions. Understanding chemical changes is a major
part of the science of chemistry.
When chemical reactions occur, the atoms are rearranged and the
reaction is accompanied by an energy change as new products are
generated.
AN EXAMPLE OF A CHEMICAL CHANGE is the reaction
between sodium and water to produce sodium hydroxide and hydrogen. So
much energy is released that the hydrogen gas released spontaneously
burns in the air. This is an example of a chemical change because the end
products are chemically different from the substances before the reaction.

ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF CHEMICAL CHANGE:

1.

RUSTING OF IRON

2.

COMBUSTION (BURNING) OF WOOD

3.

METABOLISM OF FOOD IN THE BODY

5.
6.

4. MIXING AN ACID AND A BASE, SUCH AS HYDROCHLORIC ACID (HCL)

AND SODIUM HYDROXIDE (NAOH)
COOKING AN EGG
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.
11.

USING A CHEMICAL BATTERY

EXPLOSION OF FIREWORKS

12.

ROTTING BANANAS

13.

GRILLING A HAMBURGER

14.

MILK GOING SOUR

TYPES OF CHEMICAL CHANGE:

Inorganic changes
Inorganic chemistry describes the reactions of elements and compounds
that, in general, do not involve carbon. The changes typically take place
in laboratories, or on a larger scale in heavy industries.
Typical types of change include neutralization (mixing an acid with a base,
resulting in water and salt), oxidization including combustion, redox reactions
etc.
Organic changes
Organic chemistry is concerned with the chemistry of carbon and the
elements and compound with which it reacts. These compounds
include mineral oil and all of its products and much of the output of
industries
manufacturing pharmaceuticals, paints, detergents, cosmetics, fuels etc.
Typical
examples
of
organic
chemical
changes
include cracking
heavy hydrocarbons at an oil refinery to create more gasoline from crude oil,
as gasoline is in higher demand than the heavier hydrocarbons, such as
residual fuel oils. Other reactions include, methylation, condensation
reactions, polymerization, halogenation etc.
Biochemical change

Biochemistry deals with the chemistry of the growth and activity of living
organisms. It is a chemistry where most reactions are controlled by
complex proteins called enzymes and
are
moderated
and
limited
by hormones. The chemistry is always highly complex and is still not fully
understood. Decomposition of organic material is also within the scope of
biochemistry although in this case it is the growth and activity
of fungi, bacteria and other micro-organisms that is involved. Typical types of
change include all the process involved in photosynthesis, a process in
which carbon
dioxide and water are
changed
into sugars and oxygen by plants, digestion in which energy rich materials
are used by organisms to grow and move, Krebs cycle which liberates energy
from stored reserves, protein synthesis which enable organisms to grow
using processes controlled by RNA etc.

What condition will lead to physical change and chemical change?

A physical change involves a change in physical properties. Examples
of physical properties include melting, transition to a gas, change of
strength,
change of durability,
changes
to crystal form, textural
change, shape, size, color, volume and density, while in chemical reactions
occur, the atoms are rearranged and the reaction is accompanied by
an energy change as new products are generated.