50 Physical And Chemical Change Worksheet - Free Printable

The image presents a grid of 24 illustrated examples, each depicting a different process or event. The task is to classify each example as either a chemical change or a physical change.

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🔍 Definitions:

- Physical Change: A change in which the substance's form or state changes, but its chemical composition remains the same. No new substances are formed.
- Examples: Melting ice, cutting paper, boiling water.

- Chemical Change: A change in which one or more new substances are formed due to a chemical reaction. The molecular structure changes.
- Examples: Burning wood, rusting iron, digesting food.

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Let’s go through each item and classify it:

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✔ Physical Changes (No new substances formed):

1. Chewing food → Physical (mechanical breakdown)
2. Cutting an apple → Physical (shape changed, no new substance)
3. Melting ice → Physical (solid to liquid, H₂O still H₂O)
4. Tearing paper → Physical (only shape/size changes)
5. Prying eggs → Physical (cracking shell, no chemical reaction)
6. Popping popcorn → Mixed, but primarily Physical (kernel expands, but some chemical changes occur during heating). However, most educational contexts classify this as physical due to expansion without significant new compounds.
7. Popsicle melting → Physical (solid to liquid)
8. Boiling water → Physical (liquid to gas)
9. Making toast → Chemical (see below)
10. Roasting marshmallows → Chemical (browning = Maillard reaction)
11. Bending wire → Physical (shape changes, metal unchanged)
12. Food decaying → Chemical (microbial action creates new substances)
13. Baking a cake → Chemical (eggs, flour, etc., react to form new structure)
14. Rotting banana → Chemical (enzymatic decomposition)
15. Melting candle wax → Physical (solid to liquid)
16. Nail rusting → Chemical (iron reacts with oxygen to form iron oxide)
17. Burning match → Chemical (combustion produces CO₂, ash, etc.)
18. Shattered glass → Physical (broken into pieces, no new substance)
19. Thermometer gets hotter or cooler → Physical (temperature change, no new substance)
20. Bubbles/fizzing → Chemical (often indicates gas release from a reaction, e.g., baking soda + vinegar)
21. Leaves changing color in fall → Chemical (chlorophyll breaks down; pigments change via chemical reactions)
22. Dissolving sugar in tea → Physical (sugar molecules disperse, but remain sugar)

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✘ Chemical Changes (New substances formed):

- Digesting food → Chemical (enzymes break down food into simpler molecules)
- Fireworks → Chemical (explosive reactions produce light, sound, colors)
- Making toast → Chemical (toasting involves browning reactions like Maillard)
- Roasting marshmallows → Chemical
- Food decaying → Chemical
- Baking a cake → Chemical
- Rotting banana → Chemical
- Nail rusting → Chemical
- Burning match → Chemical
- Bubbles/fizzing → Chemical
- Leaves changing color → Chemical

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🟨 Mixed or Contextual:

- Popping popcorn:
- Water inside kernel turns to steam → physical
- But pressure builds, and starch gelatinizes → some chemical changes
- Often taught as physical in basic science, but technically has both.
- Classification: Usually Physical at grade school level.

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✔ Final Classification:

| Image | Process | Type |
|------|--------|------|
| 1 | Chewing food | Physical |
| 2 | Cutting an apple | Physical |
| 3 | Digesting food | Chemical |
| 4 | Melting ice | Physical |
| 5 | Fireworks | Chemical |
| 6 | Tearing paper | Physical |
| 7 | Prying eggs | Physical |
| 8 | Popping popcorn | Physical |
| 9 | Popsicle melting | Physical |
|10 | Boiling water | Physical |
|11 | Making toast | Chemical |
|12 | Roasting marshmallows | Chemical |
|13 | Bending wire | Physical |
|14 | Food decaying | Chemical |
|15 | Baking a cake | Chemical |
|16 | Rotting banana | Chemical |
|17 | Melting candle wax | Physical |
|18 | Nail rusting | Chemical |
|19 | Burning match | Chemical |
|20 | Shattered glass | Physical |
|21 | Thermometer gets hotter or cooler | Physical |
|22 | Bubbles/fizzing | Chemical |
|23 | Leaves changing color | Chemical |
|24 | Dissolving sugar in tea | Physical |

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✔ Summary:

- Physical Changes: 13 items
(Chewing, cutting, melting ice, tearing, prying, popping, popsicle melting, boiling, bending, melting wax, shattered glass, thermometer, dissolving sugar)

- Chemical Changes: 11 items
(Digesting, fireworks, making toast, roasting marshmallows, food decaying, baking cake, rotting banana, rusting nail, burning match, fizzing, leaves changing color)

> 💡 Tip: If you're unsure, ask: "Is a new substance formed?" If yes → chemical. If not → physical.

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