Physical Change MCQs Quiz | Class 9
Class: IX, Subject: Science (Code 086), Unit I: Matter – Its Nature and Behaviour. This quiz covers the topic of Physical Changes, focusing on their meaning, specific examples like melting and freezing, and the distinction between reversible and irreversible physical changes. Test your knowledge with these 10 MCQs, then submit to check your score and download the PDF answer key.
Understanding Physical Changes
A physical change is a process in which a substance changes its physical appearance but not its chemical composition. In these changes, no new substance is formed. The chemical nature of the substance remains the same before and after the change.
Key Characteristics
- No New Substance: The most important feature. For example, ice is water, and water vapor is also water (H2O).
- Reversibility: Many physical changes are reversible (like melting ice), but some are irreversible (like tearing paper or cutting wood).
- Change in State: Transitions between solid, liquid, and gas are strictly physical changes.
- Change in Physical Properties: Changes usually involve shape, size, color, or state.
Common Examples
| Process | Type of Change | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Melting of Ice | Physical (Reversible) | Solid water becomes liquid water. No new chemical. |
| Boiling Water | Physical (Reversible) | Liquid water becomes steam. Still H2O. |
| Tearing Paper | Physical (Irreversible) | The paper changes size/shape, but remains paper. |
| Dissolving Sugar | Physical (Reversible) | Sugar mixes with water but retains its sweetness. |
| Glowing Bulb | Physical (Reversible) | Filament heats up to glow, returns to normal when off. |
Reversible vs. Irreversible Physical Changes
Students often confuse physical changes with being “always reversible.” This is incorrect. While melting wax is reversible, breaking a glass tumbler is irreversible because you cannot simply put the pieces back together to form the original glass structure, yet it is still a physical change because the chemical composition of the glass pieces has not changed.
Quick Revision Points
- Melting, freezing, evaporation, condensation, and sublimation are all physical changes.
- Physical changes involve energy absorption or release (e.g., heat to melt ice), but usually less than chemical changes.
- Alloying metals is a physical change (mixing).
Extra Practice Questions
- Why is cutting vegetables considered a physical change?
- Is the expansion of iron rails in summer a physical or chemical change?
- Differentiate between the melting of wax and the burning of wax.
- What happens to the particles during a physical change in state?
- Identify the change: Magnetization of an iron piece.
Content created and reviewed by the CBSE Quiz Editorial Team based on the latest NCERT textbooks and CBSE syllabus. Our goal is to help students practice concepts clearly, confidently, and exam-ready through well-structured MCQs and revision content.