Physical & Chemical

Properties

SPI 0507.9.1
Distinguish between physical
and chemical properties
 Key Words
• Matter
• Physical Property
• Density
• Mass
• Volume
• Texture
• Conductivity
• State of Matter
• Chemical Property
 The Idea:
• All objects and materials are made up of
matter.
• MATTER= anything that has mass or
weight and takes up space.
• Things like sugar cubes, drops of water,
or a tank of oxygen gas are all kinds of
matter.
• All kinds of matter can be described by
their properties – or characteristics.
• http://www.brainpop.com/science/matteran
dchemistry/statesofmatter
/
 Physical Properties
• A PHYSICAL PROPERTY- is a characteristic
of a substance that you can observe without
changing the substance into a different one.
• Physical properties can be observed using
your five senses: sight, hearing, touch, taste,
and smell.

• What are some ways you can observe a sugar

cube’s physical properties using your senses?
• You can also use your sense of sight to make
some measurements.
• Measurements can help you figure out the
density of a material.
• DENSITY- is an objects mass divided by its
volume.
• MASS- is the amount of matter or “Stuff”
that makes up an object.
• VOLUME- is the amount of space an object
takes up.
Different Materials have different
densities. The more mass an object has
in a certain amount of space, the denser
it is.

For Example: A cube of sugar has a

lower density than a cube of Iron that is
the same size. Things that have a lower
density float on top of substances that
have higher densities.
Texture- the way an objects
surface feels when you touch it.

- Describing words are what you

use when you talk about texture.
Gritty, rough, greasy, glassy,
smooth, slick, soft, hard, bumpy,
chalky, etc.
 Let’s stop and read.
• First, we will complete an anticipation guide
based on what we know so far.
• Then, we will read with a partner and
discuss what we have discovered.
• Pages E6-E8 in the science text.
Conductivity- another physical property
of matter that can be measured.
Conductivity is that ability of a material
to let electrical energy pass through it.

Substances that are good conductors of

electrical energy are also good
conductors of heat.
-Generally metal has a greater
conductivity compared to nonmetals.
Another Physical Property is its state.

-A State of Matter – is the form that

matter takes, such as solid, liquid , or
gas.
http://
www.chem.purdue.edu/gchelp/atoms/s
tates.html
Chemical Properties

A chemical property- is a
characteristic that determines how
a substance will react with other
substances.

*You can not observe a chemical

property of a substance without
changing it into a different substance.
Example of Chemical Properties:
-If a lump of coal is heated enough, it will
react with oxygen in the air…this reaction
is called burning. Coal is made up of
mostly solid substances that contain
carbon. When coal burns, the
materials in it are changed to a gas
called carbon dioxide and water.
*The ability of coal to burn is one of
its chemical properties.
 Anything that causes something to
change into something else and then
cannot be turned back into its
original state is a Chemical Property.

http://www.brainpop.com/science/m
atterandchemistry/propertychanges
/
Examples of Chemical Changes

Wood log  Ash

Apple Core Brown Apple Core
Shiny Silver Spoon Tarnished
New Tricycle Rusted Tricycle
Quiz:
1. What is a physical property?
2. What is a chemical property?
3. Name 2 physical properties of an
apple.
4. Name a chemical property of a wood
log.
5. What is matter?
6. What is density, mass, & volume?