Physical changes are changes affecting the form of a chemical substance, but not its chemical composition. Physical changes are used to separate mixtures into their component compounds, but can not usually be used to separate compounds into chemical elements or simpler compounds.

What is a physical alteration?

Physical alteration or modification means human-caused actions resulting in the placement, removal, or disturbance of materials of any nature or character.

What is considered an alteration?

Alteration generally means modification or change. Alter is defined as "to cause to become different in some particular characteristic . . . without changing into something else."