is a paper towel that caught on fire a chemical or physical change and why?

Answer 1

It's a chemical change, because bonds are broken and formed. The paper towel is made of long chains of carbon with hydrogen and some oxygen attached. When it burns, some ashes are left over because it's not 100% efficient, but most of it is converted into CO2 gas and steam. (That's why you need oxygen to burn most things--there's not enough oxygen attached to form the steam, so it has to combine with O2 from the air.)

Answer 2

Its a chemical change, burning or more correctly spoken is called oxidation. The carbon in the paper towel is what will oxidize, also note that it is impossible to create or destroy matter, you only change what form it exists in; ie: energy, gas, solid. A large portion of what has oxidized turns into energy and this is evident by the heat created. On an overall basic terms, what was a paper towel has be chemically changed into three things Energy, Gas, and an "inflammable" solid.

Answer 3

a paper towel that caught on fire is a chemical because a fire burns everything and turns into a chemical.

Answer 4

It is a chemical change because the ashes cannot be made back into a paper towel. In a physical change, ice for example, can be refrozen back into ice after it melts.

Answer 5

Hi. Both. The fire alters the towel's chemical and structural properties.

Answer 6

Chemical change.

Answer 7

its a physical change, chemical changes can be reversed (eg boiling water and trapping the vapor to get liquid again) physical changes cannot be reversed (or it might be the other way around)

Answer 8

heat is a physical change because it doesn't involve the change of the molecular build of the matter

Answer 9

both - it falls apart and it reacts with oxygen.

Answer 10

do your own homework