Physical Change vs. Chemical Change Game

It is important to remember the difference between physical and chemical change. A physical change is a change of state, size, shape, temperature, volume, etc. When a physical change occurs, matter will still be the same. For example, if water is put in the freezer, it becomes a solid, but the molecules or particles are the same.

When a chemical change occurs, matter changes into something new. Photosynthesis is an example of chemical change. The plant absorbs sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide. When water and carbon dioxide combine with the help of the energy from the sun, a completely new substance is formed, glucose and oxygen. This is a chemical change.

6(H2O + CO2) = C6H12O6  + O2

To reinforce your understanding, try this activity and check how much you know about physical and chemical change:

http://vital.cs.ohiou.edu/steamwebsite/downloads/ChangeLab.swf

You may also like to try these interactive games to get a better understanding of what matter, physical change and chemical change are:

http://interactivesites.weebly.com/matter-chemical--physical.html