What term describes a characteristic that indicates a substance's potential to undergo a chemical change?

The term that describes a characteristic indicating a substance's potential to undergo a chemical change is identified as a chemical property. Chemical properties are intrinsic to substances and reveal how they react with other substances, how they can change to form new substances, and under what conditions these reactions might occur. Examples include reactivity with oxygen, acidity, flammability, and the ability to oxidize.

In contrast, the other terms refer to different concepts. Chemical composition refers to the types and amounts of elements that make up a substance, not its potential to react. Physical change pertains to changes that do not alter the chemical composition of a substance, like melting or boiling. Lastly, a physical property describes the observable attributes of a substance, such as color, density, or state of matter, rather than its ability to change chemically. Understanding these distinctions is crucial in the study of chemistry.