What is the difference between mechanical weathering and chemical weathering?

What is the main difference between chemical and physical weathering?

• 1- chemical weathering alters the composition of minerals, and physical does not 2- chemical weathering increases the surface are of minerals, and physical does not 3-physical alters the composition of minerals, and chemical does not 4- physical increases the surface area of minerals, and weathering does not

• Answer:

  1. would be correct. Chemical weathering is a result of the object reacting to exposure to specific compounds, thus the surface composition of the object's molecules will change. The most common form of chemical weathering (or "corrosion") is the oxidisation (rusting) of metals. Whereas, physical weathering merely causes the object to break up at a more macroscopic level, without altering chemical composition. A common example of physical weathering (or "erosion") is the carving of rock by water, the Grand Canyon being a magnificent example.