The correct response highlights that rusting is a chemical change rather than a physical change. A physical change is characterized by alterations in the form or state of a substance that do not affect its chemical composition. For instance, condensation involves the transition of a substance from a gas to a liquid, dissolving involves the integration of a solute into a solvent (like salt in water), and melting pertains to the change of a solid into a liquid.
In contrast, rusting is a process where iron reacts with oxygen in the presence of moisture to form iron oxide, a completely new substance. This transformation involves breaking and forming chemical bonds, resulting in changes to the molecular structure. Thus, rusting exemplifies a chemical change, as it produces different substances and involves a reorganization of atoms.