PROPERTIES OF MATTER

PHYSICAL
PROPERTIES
 Physical Properties
• A property of matter that can be observed or measured
without changing the identity of the matter.
• Physical properties identify matter.
Examples include:
•Color
•Malleability
•Hardness
•Ductility
•Luster
•Solubility
•Phase of matter
•Conductivity
•Melting and boiling point
•Density
 Physical Property
• Color
• How the object absorbs and reflects light
• We can classify the objects based on their color.
• Water and alcohol are transparent, but gold and silver have
color. Sulfur is yellow.
 Physical Property

• Malleability
• The ability to be pounded into thin sheets.
• Example:
• Aluminum can be rolled or pounded into
sheets to make foil.
Physical Property
• Hardness
• Hardness describes an object’s resistance
to being scratched or dented. We can
compare the hardness of an object by
rubbing it against another object.
Physical Property
• Ductility
• The ability to be drawn or pulled into a
wire
• Example:
Copper in wiring – soldering wires or joints
Physical Property
• Luster
• The way that a substance
reflects light (metallic, non-
metallic, glassy, pearly, dull).
Physical Property
• Solubility
• The ability to
dissolve in another
substance.
• Example:
• Sugar or salt
dissolve in water
• Three ways to
increase solubility
• Heat or make
warmer
• Grind or smash
• Stir or mix
Physical Property

• State of Matter
• The physical form in which a
substance exists at room
temperature, such as:
• Solid – matter has a definite shape and
volume
• Liquid – matter takes the shape of its
container and has a definite volume
• Gas – matter changes in both shape and
volume
Physical Property

• Conductivity
• Conductivity refers to how easily a
substance conducts electricity or
how well it can transmit heat.
• Examples of good conductors of heat:
silver, copper, aluminum, brass, iron,
lead, stainless steel etc.
• Examples of bad conductors of heat: air,
water, cork, glass, styrofoam etc.
Physical Property

• Melting Point
• The temperature at which a
substance starts melting. At this
point in temperature, a solid turns
into a liquid. The melting point of
pure water ice is 32°F (0°C).
Physical Property
• Boiling Point
• The temperature at which a
substance starts boiling. At this
point in temperature, a liquid turns
into a gas. Water boils at 100 °C (212
°F), so we can say that the boiling
point of water is 100 °C (212 °F).
 Physical Property

• Density
• It expresses a relationship of mass
to volume.
• Density equals mass divided by volume.

•D = m / v
CHEMICAL PROPERTIES
 Chemical Properties

• A property of matter that describes a

substance based on its ability to
change into a new substance with
different properties.
• Reactivity:

• How likely and/or how quickly a

substance will chemically react with
another substance. A substance may
be highly reactive with one
substance, but not with another.

• Example: potassium will explode

when placed in water but do nothing
when placed in mineral oil.
• Toxicity:

How much and how quickly a

substance can damage an organism
or part of an organism.

• Example: lead has a high toxicity

because it can damage bones, the
heart, kidneys, and the nervous and
reproductive systems. If something
is poisonous, it is toxic.
• Oxidation:

If and/or how quickly a substance will

react with oxygen.

Examples:
• iron reacts with oxygen and forms
iron oxide, which we call rust
• copper reacts with oxygen and turns
into copper oxide which has a green
color
• Flammability:

The ability of matter to burn.

When matter burns, it combines
with oxygen and changes to
different substances.

Example: Wood, paper, gasoline

 INTENSIVE &
EXTENSIVE Properties
(under physical
properties)
INTENSIVE PROPERTIES
(intrinsic)

•They do not depend on the amount of

matter.

•These physical properties are used

for sample identification because they
are the same under different
conditions and for all sample sizes.
• Examples of
intensive
properties
include:
• Density
• Color
• Luster
• Malleability
• Conductivity
• Hardness *One illustration about
intensive property is water.
• Melting point
If you put different amounts
• Freezing point
of water in three different
• Boiling point sizes of cups, density of
water will still be the same.
 EXTENSIVE PROPERTIES
(extrinsic)

• Extensive properties are physical

properties that do depend on the amount of
matter in a sample.

• Extensive properties aren’t useful for

sample identification, they are great for
describing it.
• Examples of
extensive
properties
include:

• Size
• Volume
*One illustration of
• Length extensive property is
• Mass the mass of a table
salt. As you put more
• Weight
salt into a container,
the mass of the salt
also changes.