Chapter 5: Properties of Matter Review

Vocabulary terms and definitions covering key concepts from Chapter 5 Properties of Matter, including physical and chemical properties, experimental variables, density, and safety classifications.

Characteristic Property

A physical or chemical property that is unique to a particular substance and can be used to identify it, such as density, melting point, or boiling point.

Density

A quantitative characteristic property of a substance calculated as mass divided by volume ($D = \frac{m}{V}$), whose value must be stated at a specified temperature because volume changes with temperature.

WHMIS

An acronym standing for Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System, which establishes safety guidelines and symbols for hazardous materials in workplaces and laboratories.

Qualitative Property

A characteristic of a substance that can be observed and described using words without measurement, such as shape, state of matter, or taste.

Quantitative Property

A characteristic of a substance that is measured and expressed numerically with units, such as a mass of $1.5\,\text{kg}$ or a diameter of $30\,\text{cm}$.

Physical Change

A change in which the form, state, or appearance of a substance changes without altering its chemical composition, such as sawing wood, melting ice, or dissolving sugar in water.

Chemical Change

A change that results in the formation of one or more new substances, evidenced by clues such as gas production, unexpected color changes, or the release of heat or light.

Iron Pyrite

A lustrous yellow mineral consisting of iron and sulfur, commonly known as fool's gold because it resembles real gold but differs in characteristic physical properties like density.

Freezing Point Depression

The lowering of a liquid's freezing temperature caused by the addition of a solute, such as adding salt to ice or water.

Independent Variable

The variable deliberately manipulated or changed by an experimenter during a scientific investigation to observe its effect.

Dependent Variable

The variable that is observed and measured in an experiment to assess how it responds to changes in the independent variable.

Controlled Variables

All factors in an experiment that are intentionally kept constant to ensure that only the independent variable is affecting the outcome.

Overflow Container

A container filled to the spout with liquid, used to measure the volume of an irregularly shaped solid by collecting and measuring the volume of water displaced.

Road Salt

A substance applied to icy roads to lower the freezing point of water, though its effectiveness becomes impractical at the extremely low temperatures typical of northern communities.

Lead Poisoning

A toxic condition caused by the buildup of lead in the body, historically encountered due to widespread uses of lead based on its malleability and corrosion resistance.