Question

What do these two changes have in common? Carving a piece of wood, melting wax.

A) Both are physical changes
B) Both are chemical changes
C) Both involve heat
D) Both result in a change of state

Answer 1

Carving a piece of wood and melting wax are both examples of physical changes because they alter the form of a substance without changing its molecular structure, and they are typically reversible processes.

Step-by-step explanation:

The commonality between carving a piece of wood and melting wax is that both are physical changes. A physical change alters the appearance or form of a substance without changing its molecular structure. For example, when ice melts into water, or wax melts into a liquid, the change is physical because the chemical composition remains unchanged.

Carving wood changes its shape and size, but the wood remains chemically the same. Similarly, when wax melts, it changes from a solid to a liquid, but its chemical makeup is not altered, and this process is reversible. This is exemplified by the fact that you can solidify the melted wax by cooling it back into its solid form, just as you can refreeze melted water to form ice.