Physical Properties of Matter

Extensive property

a property that depends on the amount of substance in a sample

Intensive property

a property that does not depend on the amount of substance in a sample

Weight

is a measure of the force that gravity exerts on an object.

Mass

is a measure of the amount of substance within an object.

Volume

is a measure of the amount of space an object occupies.

Temperature

is a measure of how fast molecules are moving in a substance.

Heat

is a measure of energy transfer – it’s the amount of energy transferred from one substance to another.

Density

is the measure of the amount of mass per unit of volume.

Melting Point

is the temperature and pressure at which a solid turns into a liquid (and vice versa).

Boiling Point

is the temperature and pressure at which a liquid turns into a gas (and vice versa).

Specific Heat Capacity

is the amount of heat needed to change the temperature of a unit mass of a substance by a certain unit of temperature.

Extensive properties

change as the amount of a substance changes. Some examples include length, mass, heat, and volume. 

intensive properties

include density, temperature, melting point, malleability, boiling point, specific heat capacity, and luster

Heat capacity

the amount of heat needed to change the temperature of a substance by a certain unit of temperature

Heat energy

the energy associated with the movement of the particles of a substance

Conduction

a process by which heat is transferred by direct contact between two bodies

Thermal equilibrium

a condition in which there is no net flow of heat between two bodies