Which term describes a change that affects appearance but not the chemical makeup?

• A. Chemical change
• B. Mixture
• C. Pure substance
• D. Physical change

Answer: (D)

Physical changes change how a substance looks or exists (its form or state) without changing what the substance actually is at the molecular level. For example, ice melting to water changes from solid to liquid, and cutting paper changes its size and shape, but the chemical identity of the material remains the same. Dissolving sugar in water also changes appearance—the sugar seems to vanish into the liquid—but the substance isn’t chemically altered.

In contrast, a chemical change would produce a new substance with different properties, like iron rusting or milk souring. Since the situation describes a change that affects appearance but not chemical makeup, the term that fits is a physical change.