Final answer:
Paint fading is a chemical change because it involves a change in the molecular structure of the pigments due to environmental factors such as ultraviolet light.
Step-by-step explanation:
When paint fades due to exposure to sunlight or other environmental factors, it is undergoing a chemical change. This is because the pigments in paint can break down at a molecular level when they interact with ultraviolet light from the sun or other chemicals in the environment. This results in a change in the color of the paint, indicating that its chemical structure has been altered. Unlike physical changes, chemical changes are typically irreversible without undergoing further chemical reactions.
Examples of physical changes would include melting of ice or the condensation of steam – these do not involve altering the molecular structure of the substance. On the other hand, examples of chemical changes include the burning of gasoline, which changes the substances' molecular structure into entirely new products such as carbon dioxide and water vapor.