1. No New Substances Formed:

* The chemical composition of the substance remains the same. It's just a change in its form or appearance.

* Example: Ice melting into water is still H2O, just in different states.

2. Reversible:

* Many physical changes can be reversed.

* Example: You can freeze water back into ice.

3. Often Involves Changes in State:

* Melting, freezing, boiling, condensation, sublimation, and deposition are all physical changes.

4. Usually Observable Changes in Appearance:

* These changes can be in:

* Shape: Folding paper, cutting a piece of wood.

* Size: Crushing a rock, splitting a piece of wood.

* Texture: Grinding coffee beans.

* Color: Dissolving sugar in water (the sugar doesn't change chemically, just how it appears).

5. No Energy Changes (Generally):

* Physical changes generally don't involve significant energy changes like chemical reactions do.

* Example: Melting ice requires energy, but freezing water releases it.

Examples of Physical Changes:

* Cutting paper

* Boiling water

* Dissolving sugar in water

* Crushing a can

* Stretching a rubber band

* Melting butter

Key Point:

If you are unsure whether a change is physical or chemical, look for evidence of new substances being formed. If there are no new substances, it is likely a physical change.