A physical change is best described as:

A physical change is best described as a change in appearance only, which often involves alterations in the form or state of a substance without affecting its chemical composition. In physical changes, the substance remains the same at the molecular level; it just looks different. For instance, when ice melts into water, the water's appearance changes from solid to liquid, but the chemical composition of H2O remains unchanged.

This aligns with how physical changes affect properties such as shape, size, phase, or texture, while the underlying material retains its identity. In contrast, other types of changes, such as chemical changes, involve the formation of new substances and often irreversible transformations. It’s essential to recognize that understanding physical changes is foundational in science, particularly in early childhood education, where observations and explorations of the physical properties of materials take center stage.