PHYSICAL

SCIENCE
CHEMICAL CHANGE
 WHAT IS A CHEMICAL CHANGE?
• MATTER CAN GO THROUGH PHYSICAL CHANGES AND CHEMICAL CHANGES. A
PHYSICAL CHANGE OCCURS WHEN A SUBSTANCE CHANGES STATES OF MATTER,
OR ITS SIZE OR SHAPE. DURING A PHYSICAL CHANGE THE SUBSTANCE, ELEMENT,
OR COMPOUND DOES NOT CHANGE. HOWEVER, THE CHANGE MIGHT INVOLVE
CHANGES IN ENERGY. FOR EXAMPLE, ICE MELTING IS A PHYSICAL CHANGE IN
THAT AN INCREASE IN THERMAL ENERGY CHANGES THE STATE OF MATTER OF
WATER. HOWEVER, THE WATER MOLECULES THEMSELVES ARE STILL WATER, I.E.,
TWO HYDROGEN ATOMS ARE STILL BONDED TO ONE OXYGEN ATOM. A
CHEMICAL CHANGE, ON THE OTHER HAND, INVOLVES A CHANGE IN CHEMICAL
BONDS OR MOLECULAR COMPOSITION, I.E., CHEMICAL ELEMENTS EITHER
CREATE BONDS OR BREAK BONDS BETWEEN THEM. AN EXAMPLE IS WHEN IRON
REACTS WITH AIR AND WATER TO CREATE RUST. RUST (HYDROUS IRON OXIDES
AND IRON OXIDE-HYDROXIDE) IS A COMBINATION OF IRON, OXYGEN, AND
• A CHEMICAL CHANGE OCCURS AS THE RESULT OF A
CHEMICAL REACTION. DURING A CHEMICAL REACTION,
THE ATOMS WITHIN A SUBSTANCE ARE REARRANGED
INTO DIFFERENT COMBINATIONS. FOR EXAMPLE, SUGAR
UNDERGOES A CHEMICAL CHANGE WHEN IT IS COOKED
TO MAKE CARAMEL. THE HEAT FROM THE COOKING
CONVERTS SUGAR MOLECULES INTO DIFFERENT
MOLECULES THAT GIVE CARAMEL ITS COLOR AND
FLAVOR.
 TYPES OF CHEMICAL CHANGE
• COMBINATION - HAPPENS WHEN TWO OR MORE SUBSTANCES
COMBINE TOGETHER IN A CHEMICAL REACTION TO FORM ONE OR
MORE DIFFERENT SUBSTANCES. COMBINATION REACTIONS CAN
RESULT IN THE CORROSION OF METALS, LIKE IRON WITH OXYGEN
FROM THE AIR. COMBUSTION REACTIONS, SUCH AS A BURNING
CANDLE, ARE ALSO EXAMPLES OF THE CHEMICAL CHANGE
THROUGH THE COMBINATION OF WAX AND OXYGEN IN A
REACTION THAT PRODUCES HEAT, LIGHT, AND CARBON DIOXIDE.
 TYPES OF CHEMICAL CHANGE

• DECOMPOSITION -, THE OPPOSITE OF COMBINATION, OCCURS

WHEN A SINGLE SUBSTANCE BREAKS DOWN INTO TWO OR
MORE DIFFERENT SUBSTANCES. THIS TYPE OF CHEMICAL
CHANGE IS EVIDENT WHEN FRUIT DECOMPOSES OVER TIME.
DECOMPOSITION CAN ALSO OCCUR WHEN SUBSTANCES
ABSORB ENERGY, SUCH AS THE DECOMPOSITION OF WATER
INTO HYDROGEN AND OXYGEN WITH ELECTRICITY.
THE THREE MAIN PARTS OF CHEMICAL
REACTION
THE THREE MAIN PARTS OF A CHEMICAL REACTION ARE REACTANTS, ARROW, AND
PRODUCTS.

REACTANTS: DURING A REACTION, THESE COMPOUNDS OR ELEMENTS COMBINE AND

UNDERGO SOME CHEMICAL CHANGES. THESE ARE PRESENT ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE
REACTION EQUATION. FOR EXAMPLE,

ARROW: IN OTHER WORDS, THIS INDICATES THE FORMATION OF PRODUCTS FROM THE
REACTANT, AS WELL AS SEPARATING THE REACTANT AND PRODUCT. IT IS REPRESENTED
AS,
• PRODUCTS: PRODUCTS ARE FORMED AS A RESULT OF CHEMICAL REACTIONS BETWEEN
THEIR REACTANTS. THIS IS PRESENT ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE CHEMICAL EQUATION.
FOR EXAMPLE,