Notes On Properties

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Notes on Properties


Properties of a substance are the set of characteristics by which the substance is recognized (we call them observations/data in the lab). They can describe:
  1. what can be observed by examining the substance
  2. and the way it behaves when brought into contact with other substances or exposed to sources of energy

Properties are either

  1. extensive- depends on how much of a particular sample is on hand (ex. volume, weight, mass)
  2. intensive-does not depend on the size of the sample (ex. melting point, boiling point, density)
  3. used to identify a substance, whereas extensive properties are not useful in identifying a substance

Physical Properties of a substance are those characteristics that can be observed without the production of new substances (ex. color, taste, hardness, density, melting and boiling points, electrical conductivity). In other words, you are not changing the particles (base units), just how far each particles in away from each other.

Chemical Properties of a substance are those characteristics that describe how the substance interacts (or fails to interact) with other substances to produce new substances. In other words, you are changing the particles (base units) usually by how valence electrons are interacting between atoms.


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Last edited September 1, 2015 10:11 pm (diff)
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