Physical change - Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A physical change is a type of change in which the form of matter is altered but one substance is not transformed into another. The size or shape of matter may be changed, but no chemical reaction occurs.

All physical changes are reversible and their mass does not change. Some examples are changes of shape, changes of states, and passing electricity through a copper wire. Physical changes could be: melting, freezing, boiling/evaporating, condensing, deposition and sublimation.

Many physical changes also involve the rearrangement of atoms most noticeably in the formation of crystals. Many chemical changes are irreversible, and many physical changes are reversible, but reversibility is not a certain criterion for classification. Although chemical changes may be recognized by an indication such as odor, color change, or production of a gas, every one of these indicators can result from physical change.

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