* New substances are formed: When something burns, it reacts with oxygen. This reaction produces new substances like carbon dioxide, water vapor, and ash. The original substance (the fuel) is no longer present in its original form.

* Chemical bonds are broken and formed: The process of burning involves breaking the chemical bonds within the fuel and oxygen molecules and forming new bonds to create the products. This is a fundamental characteristic of chemical change.

* Irreversible: While you can extinguish a fire, the process of burning itself is irreversible. You cannot easily get the original fuel back from the ashes and gases produced.

In contrast, a physical change alters the appearance or form of a substance but not its chemical composition. For example, melting ice is a physical change because it only changes the state of water from solid to liquid, not its chemical makeup.