Is melting ice a chemical change or a physical change?

• A. Chemical change
• B. Physical change
• C. Both
• D. Neither

Answer: (B)

Melting ice is a physical change. In this process, the chemical identity of the substance doesn't change—you still have water (H2O). Adding heat causes the ice to gain energy, weakening and rearranging the forces between water molecules so it flows as liquid. No new substance forms, and the change can be reversed by cooling the liquid back into ice. If it were a chemical change, you’d expect a new substance with different properties to be produced (for example, burning or rusting), which isn’t what happens when ice melts.