What type of change occurs when water freezes into ice?

When water freezes into ice, it undergoes a physical change. This transformation involves a change in the state of matter from liquid to solid due to a decrease in temperature. In a physical change, the substance retains its chemical composition; water (H2O) remains water, whether it is in the liquid state or as ice.

During freezing, the molecules in water slow down and arrange themselves into a structured lattice formation, which is characteristic of solid ice. This process is reversible; when ice is heated, it can melt back into liquid water. As a result, the essential properties of the water are preserved throughout the freezing process, marking it distinctly as a physical change.

The other types of changes listed pertain to different processes. A chemical change would involve a transformation that alters the substance’s chemical structure, producing new substances, which does not occur when water freezes. Similarly, biological changes refer to changes in living organisms, and atomic changes involve alterations at the nuclear level, neither of which applies to the freezing of water.