While camping, you make a snack over a campfire. You roast a marshmallow over the campfire until it is browned and put in between some chocolate and graham crackers. When you take a bite, you notice that the chocolate identifies a part of this process as a physical or a chemical change?

Question

A. The digesting of the food is a physical change
B. The melting of the chocolate is a chemical change
C. The burning of the wood for the campfire is a physical change
D. The toasting of the marshmallow is a chemical change

Answer 1

The correct answer is D. The toasting of the marshmallow is a chemical change.

When you roast a marshmallow, it undergoes a process called caramelization and may also undergo Maillard reactions, which are chemical changes that result in a change in flavor and color. In contrast, the melting of the chocolate is a physical change, and the burning of the wood is also a chemical change, as it involves combustion. However, option D is the specific change that refers to the marshmallow toasting, which is a chemical change.