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GCSE Physics · key term
The characteristics used to describe or identify a material, such as its state, melting point, density and chemical behaviour.
Used by OCR
Specification P1.2b · Paper 1 (Foundation), Paper 3 (Higher)
Revise: Physical vs chemical changesIf the change is reversed, the material recovers its original properties. A chemical change produces one or more new substances, so simply reversing the physical conditions does not restore the original material and its properties.
When classifying a change, state what happens to the material: in a physical change the original substance remains and regains its original properties when the change is reversed; in a chemical change new substance(s) form.
Avoid writing that every physical change is easily reversible or that every chemical reaction is impossible to reverse. For this specification, focus on whether reversing the change restores the material's original properties.
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