Final answer:
Changing a material into something else is known as a chemical change or reaction, resulting in new substances with different properties, such as turning clay into pottery or zinc and sulfur into zinc sulfide.
Step-by-step explanation:
The process of changing a material into something else is called a chemical change or a chemical reaction. This involves the transformation of one or more substances into new substances with different properties. For instance, when clay is converted into pottery, or copper ores are turned into copper tools, a chemical change occurs, altering the composition of the original material. A familiar example is the reaction between zinc and sulfur. When heat is applied, zinc reacts with sulfur to form zinc sulfide, which is a new compound entirely different from the original elements.
Chemical changes are fundamental to many aspects of daily life, such as digesting food, creating polymers for textiles and plastics, and refining crude oil into gasoline. The study of these processes falls under the scope of chemistry, which encompasses the composition, properties, and interactions of matter. Understanding chemical changes is essential for grasping how various materials and substances are formed and utilized in our everyday activities.