How would you describe

yourself so that
someone else could
identify you?
• On a separate sheet of paper,
write as many physical
descriptions of yourself as you
can. Do not put your name on
the paper.
PROPERTIES OF MATTER

Describing Matter
 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 but are not limited to:
• Malleability * Brittleness
• Hardness * Viscosity
• Ductility * Elasticity
• Luster * Transparency
• Solubility
• State
• Conductivity
• Melting and boiling point
• Density
Physical Property
• Color
• How the object absorbs and reflects light
• We can classify the objects on the basis of
their color. Water and alcohol are
colorless, but petrol and diesel are colored
liquid. Sulfur is yellow, and copper is red in
color.
Physical Property
• Hardness
• Hardness describes an object’s resistance
to being scratched or dented.
 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
• 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

• Freezing Point
• Is the temperature at which the
substance will go from a liquid
to a solid.
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
• Amount of mass in a given volume
• The density of one substance is usually
different from that of another substance.
• Density equals mass divided by volume.
• D=m/v
Practice

• A bar of copper has a mass of

216 g and a volume of 24 cmᴲ.
What is the density of copper?
• The volume of a candy bar is 55
cmᴲ. The mass of the candy bar
is 70 g. What is the density of
the candy bar?
Physical Property
• Brittleness
• The mineral breaks or powders
easily.
• Example: ceramics, talc
Physical Property

• Transparency
• How much light can pass through it; how
see through it is
Physical Property

• Elasticity
• If bent, will bring back to its original
position when the stress is released.
• Example: rubber band
Physical Property

• Viscosity
• A fluids resistance to flow; how
runny it is
 Chemical Property

• 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 Rate: 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
• Radioactivity: The amount of
radiation a substance gives off.
Radiation is the release of
energy in the form of moving
waves or streams of particles.
• Examples:
sunlight, microwaves, X-rays,
remote controls, cell phones,
and computer screens
• Flammability:
• is the ease with which a material is
ignited, the intensity with which it burns
and releases heat once ignited
• Ex: isopropyl alcohol, acetone, gasoline,
• Heat of Combustion:
The amount of energy released
as heat when the substance
burns.
Example: burning propane gives
off twice the amount of heat as
wood
• Kerosene, paint thinner,
naphthalene, diesel fuel
• pH: How likely a substance is to
become an acid or a base when
it reacts with substances such
as water.

(FYI: pH stands for potential of

hydrogen) pH is described on a
scale from 1-14. 1 is very acidic,
14 is very basic, and 7 is
neutral.
• Corrosiveness: If/how much a
substance will damage another
substance.
• Example: Hydrochloric acid, which
is in your stomach, breaks down
food that you eat to aid in
digestion. (Your stomach is not
damaged because it has a
protective layer of mucus.)
Therefore, we would say that
hydrochloric acid is corrosive to
food.
Chemical Properties
 Can be observed with your senses.
 Are Not as easy to observe as
physical properties
 Physical Change
• A change that affects one or more
physical properties of a
substance.
• Do Not form new substances.
• Can often be Undone
• Example Butter on counter can be
placed back in refrigerator.
• Change of State
• Solid to Liquid
• Liquid to Gas
 INTENSIVE &
EXTENSIVE Properties
(under physical
properties)
INTENSIVE PROPERTIES
•A property of a substance that is
independent of the amount of the
substance.

•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
•  Melting point intensive property is water.
•  Freezing point If you put different amounts
•  Boiling point of water in three different
sizes of cups, density of
water will still be the same.
EXTENSIVE PROPERTIES

• A property of a substance that depends on

the amount of the substance

• Extensive properties aren’t useful for

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

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