Final answer:
Mechanical digestion is the physical process of breaking down food into smaller pieces, while chemical digestion involves the chemical breakdown of food molecules. Mechanical digestion primarily occurs in the mouth and stomach, while chemical digestion mostly takes place in the small intestine.
Step-by-step explanation:
Mechanical digestion is the physical breakdown of chunks of food into smaller pieces by organs of the digestive system. This type of digestion takes place mainly in the mouth and stomach. On the other hand, chemical digestion is the chemical breakdown of large, complex food molecules into smaller, simpler nutrient molecules. It begins in the mouth but occurs mainly in the small intestine.