Properties and Classification of Matter: Physical and Chemical Aspects

Properties of matter

Characteristics that can be used to describe matter.

Physical Properties

Properties that can be observed directly or measured without changing the chemical identity of the substance.

Density

Measure of compactness or consistency of a material; mass per unit of volume, measured in g/cm3 or g/mL.

Density formula

Density = mass/volume = M/V.

Melting point

Temperature at which a solid becomes a liquid.

Boiling point

Temperature at which a liquid becomes a gas.

Viscosity

A fluid's resistance to flow; a physical property of only liquids that can change with temperature.

Solubility

A measure of how well a solute dissolves in a solvent.

Solute

What is being dissolved in a solution.

Solvent

What is doing the dissolving in a solution.

Solution

The result of a solute dissolving in a solvent.

Chemical Properties

Properties that can only be observed or measured by changing the chemical identity of a substance.

Combustibility

How easily a substance will set on fire.

Reactivity

How easily a substance reacts, usually with an acid or base.

Oxidation

How easily a substance reacts with oxygen.

Physical Change

A change in a substance that only affects its physical properties.

Chemical Change

A change in a substance that affects its chemical properties, thus a chemical reaction occurs.

Evidence of a Chemical Change

Release of light, temperature change, odor change, sudden color change, gas given off.

Precipitate

A solid formed by a change in a solution.

Law of Conservation of Matter

Matter is neither created nor destroyed during a chemical change; it only changes forms.

Matter

Anything that takes up space and has mass; either a substance or mixture.

Substance

All particles in matter are identical (fixed composition).

Mixture

Two or more substances physically combined (variable composition).

Element

Simplest form of matter from which more complex substances are made, listed on the Periodic Table.

Compound

Two or more elements chemically combined in a fixed proportion.

Homogeneous Mixture

Components are evenly distributed on a microscopic level.

Heterogeneous Mixture

Substances in the mixture are not evenly spread out.