Such changes which do not produces any new substances after the reaction is called as the physical change, whereas the changes which bring out the formation of new substance is named as the chemical change. So we can say that the main difference lies in the chemical composition, where one (chemical change) of the change is involved in altering the composition of the material and thus forms new substance and the other (physical change) brings out alteration in size, shape and colour only.
Change is a part of everyone’s life, whether its a plant, animal, microorganism or any non-living matter. As these changes apply to matter only. Anything which occupies space is called as matter and matter experiences both physical as well as chemical changes.
These changes are obvious and may happen suddenly or slowly or in series of steps. These changes are not bounded into the chemical laboratory only but occur everywhere. Although it is necessary for the one to know about these changes and with this, hereby we will be describing different aspects on which the physical and chemical changes can differentiate and few examples of them
Content: Physical Vs Chemical Change
Comparison Chart
| Basis For Comparison | Physical Change | Chemical Change |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Physical changes are those changes, where there is no change in the mass of the substance and even the internal properties of the molecules remain same. Such changes are temporary. These changes involves the transformation in different phases of matter like from solid to liquid; liquid to gas or vice versa. | Chemical changes are those changes, where there is the formation of the new substance and such changes are permanent. There are the breaking and formation of new bonds to make the new compounds. |
| It affects | It affects only physical properties of the material like size, colour and shape, etc. | It affects physical as well as the chemical properties of the material. |
| Produces | No new substance is formed, that means the molecules and atoms are arranged in the same way in products as were in reactants. | Chemical changes always produce new substances, the atoms and molecules rearrange themselves and form a new compound. |
| Energy | There is no energy production during physical changes. | The energy is always required or produced in the form of light, heat or sound during the chemical changes. |
| Reversible/Irreversible | Physical changes are generally reversible. | Chemical changes are irreversible or some time reversible also. |
| Examples | 1. Changing of ice into water or vice versa. 2. Tearing of paper. 3. Shaping the clay in different shapes. 4. Cutting a wooden pile. 5. Switching on/off electric equipment. | 1. Digestion of food. 2. Burning of a matchstick, fuels. 3. Cooked or riped vegetables, fruits. 4. Getting old. 5. Formation of curd. |
Definition of Physical Change
The type of change in which the matter switch into another form, without altering its chemical properties. It can be elaborated by taking a common example of a sheet of a paper, when it is torn into pieces, the paper just change its shape and size but its properties remain same. Another example is of the transformation of water into ice or water vapour or melting of ice, these are all forms of water, and here the chemical properties do not get changed.
Therefore, from the above example, we can say, that changes that bring alteration in the size, texture, shape of the matter only are the physical change. These changes are generally reversible and are temporary too. These matters are interconvertible from its one state to another like solid to liquid or gas.
Definition of Chemical Change
This type of change is opposite of the earlier one, as this type of change brings out the new product after the reaction. By taking an example of the burning of the paper or wooden block, after the reaction completes, the composition of the materials gets changed, and the new product is formed.
So chemical changes are known to alter the properties of the material during the reaction, as in this the atoms and molecules present in the substance rearrange themselves and result in the new substance.
Chemical changes are not easy to reverse or are irreversible and hence said as the permanent change. These changes result in changing the physical as well as chemical properties of the material like the melting point, boiling point, temperature, taste, shape, colour, etc.
Key Differences Between Physical and Chemical Changes
Following are the important point to distinguish the physical and the chemical changes:
- Physical changes refer to such changes in the material when the mass of the substance and the internal arrangement of the molecules and atoms remains same, even after the reaction. On the contrary, when changes involve the formation of the new substance from the original substance is called a chemical change. In this, the arrangement of the atoms and molecules of the substance also get altered.
- Physical changes are temporary and involve the transformation in different phases of matter like from solid to liquid; liquid to gas. Whereas chemical changes are permanent as it participates in the breaking and formation of new bonds to make the new compounds.
- The physical change affects only physical properties of the material like shape, size, colour whereas chemical properties affect not as physical as well as the chemical properties of the material, as there is an internal change in the atoms and molecules of the material.
- No new substance is formed, and even physical changes are generally reversible, while chemical changes always produce new substances, the atoms and molecules rearrange themselves and form a new compound, and these can be irreversible or reversible.
- There is no energy required or produced during physical changes, but in the chemical change, there is always the requirement of energy. The energy is either absorbed or released in the form of light, heat or sound.
- Few examples of physical change in the day to day life are shaping the clay in different shapes, tearing of paper, changing of ice into water or vice versa, cutting a wooden pile. On the other hand burning of a matchstick, fuels, digestion of food, the formation of curd, cooked or riped vegetables, fruits, getting old are some of the examples of the chemical changes.
Conclusion
From the above article, we tried to focus on the points on which the physical and chemical changes differ. As these are some of the common things occurs every then and now and one should know of this. We also provided few common instances which will be helpful for the readers to understand.
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