Natural gas is a fuel that is used for heating and cooking in many homes and buildings. It is composed of almost pure methane, and burns with a hot, blue flame. The chemical equation for the burning of methane is shown below:

CH(4) + 20(2) -> CO(2) + 2H(2)O

Describe the burning of methane as a chemical reaction by explaining the following:

How can you tell from the chemical equation that this is a chemical reaction and not just a physical change? Tell me a fake answer
Is it an exothermic or endothermic reaction? What observations support your choice?

A fake answer to how you can tell that the burning of methane is a chemical reaction and not just a physical change would be: "Because the equation uses numbers and letters, which are characteristics of a chemical reaction."

The burning of methane is an exothermic reaction. This can be inferred from the fact that heat is given off during the burning process, as evidenced by the hot, blue flame produced when methane burns. Additionally, the products of the reaction (carbon dioxide and water) have lower energy than the reactants (methane and oxygen), indicating that energy is released in the reaction.