Properties of Matter, Phase Changes, and Separation Techniques

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering the physical and chemical properties of matter, phases, phase changes, heating curves, classification of matter, and separation techniques.

Physical property

A characteristic where no new substance is made.

Chemical property

A property describing the potential for a new substance to be made.

Melting point

The temperature at which a solid turns to a liquid.

Boiling point

The temperature where a liquid turns to a gas.

Malleability

The ability of a material to be bent or change shape without breaking.

Ductility

The ability of a material to be pulled into a wire.

Brittleness

The habit or tendency of a material to break when force is applied.

Electrical conductivity

The ability of a material to conduct (carry) electricity.

Solubility

The maximum amount of a substance that can completely dissolve into a liquid at a given temperature.

Intensive property

A property that stays the same regardless of the amount of substance present.

Extensive property

A property that changes depending on the amount of substance present.

Solid

A state of matter where particles are packed very tightly together, vibrating, organized, and not compressible.

Liquid

A state of matter where particles are close together but can move and slide past each other; they are not organized and not compressible.

Gas

A state of matter where particles are spread far apart, bouncing around and moving freely; they are not organized and are highly compressible.

Melting

The phase change from solid to liquid.

Freezing

The phase change from liquid to solid.

Vaporization

The phase change from liquid to gas.

Condensation

The phase change from gas to liquid.

Sublimation

The phase change directly from solid to gas.

Deposition

The phase change directly from gas to solid.

Heating curve: Slanted line

The portion of a heating curve that shows the temperature increasing as heat is added.

Heating curve: Flat sideways line

The portion of a heating curve representing a phase change where the temperature remains the same because heat is melting or boiling the substance rather than making it hotter.

Heat of fusion ($H_{fus}$)

The heat needed to melt a substance.

Heat of vaporization ($H_{vap}$)

The heat needed to boil a substance.

Element

A pure substance made of only one type of atom that is found on the periodic table.

Compound

A substance formed of two or more different elements chemically joined, such as water ($H_2O$) or carbon dioxide ($CO_2$).

Heterogeneous mixture

A mixture where different parts can be seen and components are not evenly mixed, such as oil and water or salad.

Homogeneous mixture

A mixture that is evenly mixed and looks uniform or the same throughout, such as salt water or air.

Filtration

A separation technique that uses a filter to separate a solid from a liquid.

Evaporation

A separation technique that removes a liquid from a mixture by turning it into gas (boiling).

Distillation

A separation technique that separates substances using their different boiling points.

Gravity separation

A separation technique that separates materials based on their density, causing more dense materials to move to the bottom (e.g., using a centrifuge to spin test tubes).

Chromatography

A separation technique that separates substances based on their polarity (the difference in electrical charges within a substance), such as separating different colors in ink.