Properties of Matter – General Chemistry 1

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms related to physical and chemical properties of matter, changes of matter, and specific intensive and extensive properties discussed in the lecture.

Matter

Anything that has mass and occupies space; can exist as a solid, liquid, or gas.

Physical Property

A characteristic that can be observed or measured without changing a substance’s identity or composition (e.g., color, density, melting point).

Chemical Property

The ability of a substance to undergo a chemical change and transform into a different substance (e.g., flammability, acidity).

Intensive Property

A physical property that does not depend on the amount of matter present, such as density, color, or boiling point.

Extensive Property

A physical property that depends on the amount of matter present, such as mass, volume, or length.

Chemical Change

A process in which substances (reactants) are converted into new substances (products) with different compositions.

Reactant

A starting substance that undergoes change during a chemical reaction.

Product

A substance formed as a result of a chemical reaction.

Acidity

A chemical property describing a substance’s ability to donate protons (H⁺) or form acidic solutions.

Reactivity

The tendency of a substance to undergo chemical reactions, either by itself or with other materials.

Flammability

A chemical property describing how easily a substance ignites and burns in air.

Toxicity

The degree to which a substance can harm living organisms.

Density

Mass per unit volume of a substance; often used to help identify unknown materials (e.g., water = 1.00 g/mL, alcohol ≈ 0.79 g/mL).

Thermal Conductivity (Heating Property)

The ability of a substance to conduct heat; metals like aluminum and iron conduct heat well, while insulation materials do not.

Solubility

The ability of a substance to dissolve in a given solvent; varies among materials (e.g., sugar dissolves in water, dirt does not).

Electrical Conductivity (Electric Property)

A measure of how easily a substance allows electric current to flow; copper is a good conductor, while rubber is an insulator.

Magnetism (Magnetic Property)

The property that enables certain substances (e.g., iron, cobalt, nickel) to be attracted to a magnet.

States of Matter

Physical forms—solid, liquid, gas—in which matter can exist, each with distinct properties and particle arrangements.