In a science lab, a teacher instructed students to attach a piece of very fine steel wool to a clamp stand inside a fume hood. The students then lit a burner placed under the steel wool. The metal strands began to glow bright red and flames filled the steel wool. After the burner was turned off, the metal continued to burn, leaving behind reddish-brown strands that collapsed into a powder when it was touched after cooling. Based on these observations, did the steel wool undergo a chemical change or a physical change? Explain your answer.