PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL CHANGES-NOTES
Questions and Answers
Q.1) Differentiate between physical and chemical change.
Ans:
Physical change Chemical change
Physical changes are reversible Chemical changes are not reversible
No new substances are formed One or more new substances are
formed
The substances retain its chemical The new substances formed, have
properties different properties from the original
substance.
Q.2) Why is hacksaw blade’s colour change on heating considered as a
physical change?
Ans: Changing of hacksaw blade’s colour on heating is considered as a physical
change because in this process only colour changes, no new substance is
formed.
Q.3) Why explosion of fireworks is a chemical change?
Ans: Explosion of a firework is a chemical change because explosion produces
heat, light, sound and unpleasant gases and once the crackers are burnt, it cannot
be brought back to its original form.
Q.4) When a candle burns, both physical and chemical changes take place.
Identify these changes. Give another example of a familiar process in which
both the chemical and physical changes take place.
Ans. When a candle burns, both physical and chemical changes occur:
(i) Physical change: melting of wax, vaporization of melted wax.
(ii) Chemical change: Burning of vapours of wax to give carbon dioxide, heat
and light.
LPG is another example in which physical change occurs when LPG comes out
of cylinder and is converted from liquid to gaseous state and a chemical change
occurs when gas burns in air.
Q.5) What is rust? Write down the equation representing the process of
rusting.
If a piece of iron is left in the open for some time, it acquires a film of brownish
substance. This substance is called rust. The process of rusting can be
represented by the following equation:
Q.6) Magnesium ribbon burns in air and changes to white substance, i.e.
magnesium oxide. When magnesium oxide dissolves in water, what type of
change take place? Give reason in support of your answer. Express the
change in the form of equation.
Ans: When magnesium is burnt in air, it forms magnesium oxide in the form of
white ash.
Magnesium (Mg)+ Oxygen (O2) → Magnesium oxide (MgO)
When magnesium oxide dissolves in water, it forms a new substance,
magnesium hydroxide.
Magnesium oxide (MgO) + Water (H2O) → Magnesium hydroxide Mg(OH)2
So, it is a chemical change.
Q.7) What happens when:
i) Vinegar is added to baking soda.
ii) when carbon dioxide is passed through lime water.
iii) when some iron nails are dipped in a copper sulphate solution.
Ans: i) When baking soda (sodium hydrogen carbonate) and vinegar (acetic
acid) are mixed, then a chemical change takes place between sodium hydrogen
carbonate and acetic acid to form three new substances. The change in the test
tube is as follows:
Chemical Equation: NaHCO3 + CH3COOH → CH3COONa + H2O + CO2
ii) Lime water is calcium hydroxide solution. When carbon dioxide gas is
passed through lime water, then calcium hydroxide combines with carbon
dioxide to form a white solid substance, calcium carbonate which makes lime
water milky. This chemical change can be written in the form of equation as
follows:
iii) When iron nails are dipped in a copper sulphate solution, then iron nails are
coated with reddish brown deposits of copper. and the blue colour of copper
sulphate solution changes to light green due to the formation of iron sulphate.
So, it is a chemical change.
Copper sulphate solution (blue) + Iron → Iron sulphate solution (green) +
Copper (brown deposit).
Fe + CuSO₄ → FeSO₄ + Cu
Q.8) Why do ships suffer a lot of damage from rusting in spite of being
painted?
Ans: Ships suffer a lot of damage from rusting in spite of being painted because
the water of the sea contains many salts which makes the process of rust
formation faster.
Q.9) Define: i) Galvanization ii) crystallization.
Ans: i)The process of depositing a layer of metal like zinc or chromium on iron
is called galvanisation.
ii)Large crystals of pure substances can be formed from their solutions. The
process is called crystallisation.
