Physical and Chemical Phenomena

They are those events where the composition of the material is not modified, its physical properties are maintained. Chemical phenomena are those that occur due to alterations in the composition of matter.

We get physical and chemical phenomena in our day to day, from boiling water, cooking an egg to the blue color of the sky. Physics and chemistry are the sciences that allow us to expose all these phenomena.

`Physical phenomena`

They are events that occur in nature in which the composition of matter is not altered. These phenomena can be manifested by the laws of physics. Next, we present different examples of physical phenomena.

Sound barrier

It is a physical-acoustic phenomenon caused by the collision of sound waves in the air. Sound is a wave that travels through the air at a speed of 343 meters per second. When an airplane exceeds this speed, a noise similar to an explosion is caused. This is known as "breaking the sound barrier."

Rainbow

It is a luminous physical phenomenon that we can see in the sky when sunlight is reflected and refracted in raindrops. The water droplets act in this case as a prism, separating the strips of colors that make up the light.

mirages

It is a visual physical phenomenon that originates because light bends when passing through layers of air with other temperatures. It is an optical illusion that makes us discover the presence of water in the distance, which is not real.

Optical fibers

They are an optical physical phenomenon that is determined because light travels through cables or long fibers of glass or plastic. This occurs because the light is reflected internally in the cable, which causes it to reverberate throughout the fiber without being lost in the external environment. They are widely used for the transmission of data, images and sound.

Lightning bolts

They are electromagnetic phenomena that occur in the air. They are electrical discharges that occur during storms. This is due to a separation of electrical charges between the earth's surface and the clouds.

`chemical phenomena`

They are events that occur when the composition of matter is altered. In daily life we come across different chemical phenomena that sometimes go by unaware. Here are some examples of chemical phenomena.

Fireworks

They are chemical phenomena that occur due to the heating of metals in an explosion. For example, strontium produces a deep red color, sodium causes a yellow color, copper causes a green color, and potassium produces a lilac color.

Rust

It is a chemical phenomenon that we find in iron materials or other metals as an effect of oxidation and reduction reactions. This involves the chemical transformation of iron to iron oxide in the presence of oxygen, either from air or water, with the characteristic light brown color.

ozone hole

It is the consequence of the decrease in ozone (O3) levels in the atmosphere, due to chemical reaction with compounds known as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). O3 is a molecule found in the stratosphere that protects the planet from ultraviolet rays coming from the Sun.

Acid rain

It is the result of increased acidity in rainwater due to air pollution. Industrial methods produce gaseous sulfur dioxide, which reacts with rainwater to form sulfuric acid, a strong acid that is highly corrosive.

Another polluting gas is nitrogen oxide (IV) which reacts with water to form nitrous acid (HNO2) and nitric acid (HNO3).

Acid rain has detrimental effects on the environment:

Alteration of the PH of aquatic environments.
mineral dissolution.
Corrosion of metals and constructions.