Cutting a piece of paper into smaller pieces is an example of which kind of change?

• A. Chemical Change
• B. Physical Change
• C. State Change
• D. Matter Change

Answer: (B)

A physical change is when a material’s size, shape, or appearance changes without altering what it is. Cutting paper changes its size and edges, but the substance is still paper with the same chemical composition. No new substance is formed, and the change could be reversed by reassembling the pieces. That’s why this is a physical change. A chemical change would create new substances (like burning paper), a state change would involve a change between solid, liquid, or gas, and “matter change” isn’t the usual term for this concept.