Why is lighting matchsticks is physical change?

Lighting matchsticks is considered a physical change because it involves a change in the state of the matchstick (from solid to flame) without altering its chemical composition in the initial phase. The heat generated causes the matchstick to ignite, producing light and heat, but the matchstick itself is still fundamentally a solid material until it burns away. However, the act of burning does lead to a subsequent chemical change as the materials transform into ash and gases.