When wood burns in a campfire, is this process best classified as a physical change or a chemical change?

• A. Physical change
• B. Both physical and chemical change
• C. Chemical change
• D. Neither physical nor chemical change

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the definitions: A physical change involves a change in the state or appearance of a substance without altering its chemical composition, while a chemical change results in the formation of new substances with different chemical properties.
2. Consider what happens when wood burns: The wood reacts with oxygen in the air, producing new substances such as carbon dioxide, water vapor, ash, and other gases.
3. Recognize that burning involves breaking chemical bonds in the wood and forming new bonds in the products, which means the original chemical composition of the wood changes.
4. Since new substances are formed and the chemical composition changes, this process cannot be classified as a physical change.
5. Therefore, burning wood is best classified as a chemical change because it involves a chemical reaction that transforms the original material into different substances.