Class 7 Chapter 6 – Physical and Chemical Changes
Important Questions with Answers
Multiple Choice Type Questions
Q1. Which of the following is an example of a chemical change?
(a) Formation of cloud (b) Dropping sodium into water
(c) Glowing of an electric light (d) All of the above
Q2. Combustion is a ________ change.
(a) Chemical change (b) Physical change
(c) Both (a) and (b) (d) None of the above
Q3. Which of the following is not a characteristic of a chemical change?
(a) Formation of new substances (b) They are irreversible
(c) Chemical properties of new substances are the same (d) None of the above
Q4. Which of the following are the characteristics of a physical change?
(a) It is reversible (b) It is temporary
(c) No new substance is formed (d) All of the above
Q5. Which of the following is an example of a physical change?
(a) Respiration (Inhaling oxygen gas and exhaling carbon dioxide gas)
(b) Evaporation of water (c) Mixing vinegar and baking soda
(d) All of the above
Q6. Which of the following is a permanent change and can not be recovered by just
reversing the conditions?
(a) Chemical change (b) Physical change
(c) Both (a) and (b) (d) None of the above
True or False Type Questions
Q1. Cutting of log of wood into pieces is a chemical change.
Answer: False
Q2. The formation of manure from leaves is a physical change.
Answer: False
Q3. Iron pipes coated with zinc do not get rusted easily.
Answer: True
Q4. Condensation of steam is not a chemical change.
Answer: True
Q5. Rust can be crumbled off easily.
Answer: True
Fill in the Blanks Type Questions
Q1. Rust forms on ______.
Answer: Iron
Q2. Digestion of food is a ______ change.
Answer: Chemical
Q3. The churning of milk to get butter is a ______ change.
Answer: Physical
Q4. The glowing of an electric bulb is a _____ change.
Answer: Physical
Q5. When carbon dioxide is passed through lime water, it turns milky due to the
formation of _________.
Answer: Calcium carbonate.
Match the Following Type Questions
Q1. Match the items of column A with those of column B.
Column A Column B
Physical change Blue
Chemical change Green
Burning of magnesium Physical properties are changed
Iron sulphate Magnesium oxide
Copper sulphate New substances are produced
Answer:
Column A Column B
Physical change Physical properties are changed
Chemical change New substances are produced
Burning of magnesium Magnesium oxide
Iron sulphate Green
Copper sulphate Blue
Q2. Match the items of column A with those of column B.
Column A Column B
Burning of paper Physical change
The ringing of an electric bell Chemical change
Curdling of milk Physical change
The electric light is switched on Chemical change
Melting of butter Physical change
Answer:
Column A Column B
Burning of paper Chemical change
The ringing of an electric bell Physical change
Curdling of milk Chemical change
The electric light is switched on Physical change
Melting of butter Physical change
Very Short Answer Type Questions
Q1. What is rust?
Answer: The brownish deposit on an iron material left open for some time is called
rust
Q2. Name the product formed when a piece of magnesium is burnt in the air.
Answer: Magnesium oxide is formed when a piece of magnesium is burnt in the air.
Q3. What is galvanisation?
Answer: Galvanisation refers to the process of depositing zinc on iron articles. It is
used to prevent rusting of iron articles.
Q4. What is crystallisation?
Answer: Crystallisation refers to the process by which an impure compound is
converted into a crystal.
Q5. What are the molecular formula and chemical name of rust?
Answer: The molecular formula and chemical name of rust are Fe2O3 and ferric
oxide, respectively.
Q6. What is a physical change?
Answer: A physical change occurs when the physical properties of the substance
change, but no new substances are formed.
Q7. What is a chemical change?
Answer: A chemical change occurs when two substances interact to produce one or
more new substances with different properties.
Q8. Mention one way of preventing rusting of iron.
Answer: Galvanisation can be used to prevent rusting of iron.
Q9. Mention some examples of chemical changes.
Answer: Rusting of iron, fermentation of food, photosynthesis, burning of a candle
and digestion of food are some examples of chemical changes.
Q10. How does painting an iron grill prevent it from rusting?
Answer: Painting an iron grill prevents the contact of iron with air and moisture, so
there is no interaction. Thus, painting an iron grill prevents it from rusting.
Q11. Write the chemical equation for rusting of iron.
Answer: The chemical equation for rusting iron is
Iron + Oxygen + Water → Rust (Iron Oxide).
4 Fe + 3 O2 + x.H2O → 2 Fe2O3.
Q12. Name a metal other than zinc coated on iron to prevent rusting.
Answer: Chromium is coated on iron to prevent rusting.
Q13. Name a method by which you can obtain a highly pure sample of salt.
Answer: Crystallisation can be used to obtain a highly pure sample of salt.
Short Answer Type Questions
Q1. When baking soda is mixed with lemon juice, bubbles are formed with the
evolution of gas. What kind of change is it? Explain.
Answer: When baking soda is mixed with lemon juice, Carbon dioxide (CO2) gas is
released in the form of bubbles. The chemical composition of the substance changes
and a new product is formed after mixing. Thus, it is a chemical change.
Q2. Why do stainless steel utensils not rust?
Answer: Stainless steel is an alloy with a minimum chromium content of 10.5%. The
chromium reacts with the oxygen in the air and forms a protective layer that makes
stainless steel highly resistant to corrosion and rust.
Q3. Why is fermented food warmer than ordinary food?
Answer: Fermented food is warmer than everyday food because a chemical
reaction occurs during fermentation leading to the elimination of carbon dioxide and
heat.
Q4. Name the two conditions that are essential for rusting.
Answer: The two conditions necessary for rusting are:
1. Oxygen
2. Water or water vapour
Q6. Why is crystallisation regarded as a physical change?
Answer: Crystallisation is a physical change as it does not result in the formation of
a new substance. Moreover, the change is reversible because crystals formed in the
process can be reversed back to non-crystalline form by dissolving it in water.
Q6. How would you show that curdling of milk is a chemical change?
Answer: Curdling of milk is a chemical change because a new substance, i.e. lactic
acid, is formed. The curd has a different taste than the milk. Also, once the curd is
formed, we can not restore milk from it.
Q7. Explain why burning wood and cutting it into small pieces are considered two
different types of changes.
Answer: The burning of wood is a chemical change as after burning it, wood
changes into ash, and we can not recover it from ash. In contrast, cutting wood into
small pieces is a physical change as it involves a difference in the size of the wood.
Q8. Explain why rusting of iron objects is faster in coastal areas than in deserts.
Answer: Rusting of iron objects occurs if iron comes in contact with moist air. It is
faster in coastal areas than in deserts because air contains a high percentage of
moisture in coastal areas. In contrast, the air is dry and hot in the deserts. Therefore
rusting is more prominent in coastal provinces than in deserts.
Long Answer Type Questions
Q1. What is a chemical change? List some characteristics of chemical changes.
Answer: A chemical change occurs when two substances interact to produce one or
more new substances with different properties.
Some of the characteristics of chemical changes are mentioned below.
1. Formation of new substance
2. Changes in the composition of the substance
3. Precipitate (formation of residue)
4. Evolution of a gas (formation of bubbles)
5. Irreversible, i.e. we can not recover it by reversing the conditions.
6. Absorption or evolution of heat and light energy
7. Change of colour
8. Change of smell
9. Production of sound
Q2. What is a physical change? List some characteristics of physical changes.
Answer: A physical change occurs when the physical properties of the substance
change, but no new substances are formed.
Some of the characteristics of physical changes are mentioned below.
1. The physical properties of a substance change during a physical change.
For example, when an ice cube melts, water is formed. There is a change in the
state of water from solid to liquid.
2. No new substances are formed, and the nature of the substance remains the
same during the change.
For example, when an ice cube melts, water is formed. No new substances are
formed during the process, and the nature of the substance remains the same.
3. It is temporary and generally reversible though some changes may be irreversible.
For example, when water is heated, water vapours are formed. Once water vapours
are cooled, we can obtain water again.
4. Only a small amount of heat is absorbed or given off during the change.
Q3. What is rusting? How can it be prevented?
Answer: Rusting refers to depositing reddish brown material on the iron articles. The
formation damages or destroys the iron material.
We can prevent rusting of iron in the following ways:
1. Painting, oiling, greasing, or varnishing its surface.
2. Coating iron with non-corrosive substances like carbon. This process is known as
alloying.
3. Galvanisation is another method of protecting iron from rusting by coating iron with
a thin layer of zinc.
Q4. Distinguish between physical and chemical changes.
Answer: We can distinguish between physical and chemical changes in the
following ways.
Sl. Physical Change Chemical Change
No.
1. A physical change occurs when the physical A chemical change occurs when two
properties of the substance change, but no new substances interact to produce one or
substances are formed. more new
substances with different properties.
2. No new substance is formed. A new substance is formed.
3. It is a temporary change. It is a permanent change.
4. It affects only physical properties, i.e. shape, size,
It affects the physical and chemical
etc. properties of the substance, including its
composition.
5. Minor to no absorption and energy evolution occur. Absorption and energy evolution occur.
6. It is reversible, i.e. we can recover the original It is irreversible, i.e. we can not recover it
substance. by reversing the conditions.
Q5. Classify the following into physical or chemical changes.
(a) Magnetisation of an iron piece
(b) Dissolution of salt in water
(c) Expansion and contraction of metals
Answer: (a) Magnetisation of an iron piece is a physical change as it is a temporary
change.
(b) The dissolution of salt in water is the method of dissolving salt in water. It is a
physical change as no new substance is formed, and the salt can be recovered by
water evaporation.
(c) The expansion and contraction of metal on heating and cooling are physical
changes because the expansion and contraction do not cause any chemical
changes in metal. Also, contraction and expansion do not produce other elements
with different chemical properties.
Q6. What happens when an iron nail is dipped in the copper sulphate solution?
Answer: When an iron nail is immersed in copper sulphate, iron displaces copper
from the copper sulphate solution, as iron is more reactive than copper. Therefore,
the colour of the copper sulphate solution changes from blue to pale green.
Reaction
CuSO4 (aq) + Fe (s) → FeSO4 (aq) + Cu (s)
In this reaction, the following two processes take place:
Cu²⁺ + 2 e– = Cu⁰ (reduction process, Cu²⁺ is the oxidising agent)
Fe⁰ – 2 e– = Fe²⁺ (oxidation process, Fe⁰ is the reducing agent)
It is a double displacement and redox reaction (as oxidation and reduction coincide).
Explanation
When an iron nail is dipped in copper sulphate solution, a brown coating of copper is
formed on the iron surface, and the copper sulphate solution’s colour changes from
blue to pale green. The iron passes into the solution as ferrous, forming the ferrous
sulphate solution. The reaction shows iron is more reactive than copper because it
displaces copper from the copper sulphate solution.
Q7. What happens if the gas produced by the reaction between vinegar and baking
soda is passed through lime water? Justify your answer.
Answer: The reaction between baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) and vinegar
(dilute acetic acid) generates carbon dioxide gas and sodium acetate.
NaHCO3 + CH3COOH → CH3COONa + H2O + CO2
When carbon dioxide is passed into the lime water, a white precipitate of calcium
carbonate (CaCO3) is formed, making it milky.
CO2 + Ca(OH)2 → CaCO3
However, the milkiness goes away if an excess of carbon dioxide is passed through
lime water. It is due to the formation of colourless calcium bicarbonate, which is
soluble in water.
CO2 + Ca(OH)2 → CaCO3 → Ca(HCO3)2
