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Observing Matter

Matter could be described in 2 ways:

a. By their general properties

b. By their unique characteristics

Properties of Matter

Physical Properties: is any measurable property, the value of which describes a physicalsystem's state. The changes in the physical properties of a system can be used to describeits transformations.

Qualitative Properties: properties of matter that is usually observed by our senses.These properties are not generally measured or quantified and are just being observed.

Example: Color, odor, texture, brittleness, ductility.

Quantitative Properties: properties of matter that is measures, quantified, rangedand could be assigned with a numeric value. Measurements of any particular quantitativeproperty are expressed as a specific quantity, referred to as a unit, multiplied by anumber.

Example: Mass, Volume, Area, Viscosity, weight, height, temperature

Intensive properties: whose value does notdepend on the amount of the substancefor which it is measured. For instance, the mass of an object is an extensive quantity,because it depends on the amount of that substance being measured. Density, on the

other hand, is an intensive property of the substance.

Examples of intensive properties include:

temperature

chemical potential

density

specific gravity

viscosity

velocity

electrical resistivity

specific energy

specific heat capacity

luster

hardness

melting point and boiling point

pressure

ductility

elasticity

malleability

magnetism

state

concentration

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Densityhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lustre_(mineralogy)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Densityhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lustre_(mineralogy)

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Extensive properties: is a physical quantity whose value is proportional to the size of

the system it describes.

Examples of extensive properties include:

energy

mass

particle number

stiffness

volume

Mass: the amount of matter contained in a body/substance. (Measured by a platformbalance)

Weight: is defined as being equal to the force exerted on it by gravity. (Measured by aspring balance)

Volume: amount of space required by matter

Density: the proportion of mass and volume (mass/volume), denser substances tend tosink and less dense ones tend to float.

Special Properties of Matter

1. Flexibility Ability to bend an object

Ex: Rubber, Plastic, Metal Rod, Wire Spring

2. Elasticity ability of a material that returns to its original shape after the stress.

Ex: Rubber band, Garter, Bubble Gum

3. Malleability ability to form a thin sheet by hammering or rolling.

Ex: Aluminum foil, Gold foils

4. Ductility the extent to which materials can be deformedplastically without fracture.

Ex. Copper wire: Being stretched to an extent until it breaks up.

5. Solubility is the property of a solid, liquid, or gaseous chemicalsubstance called solute to dissolve in a liquid solvent to forma homogeneous solution of the solute in the solvent.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy

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The solubility of a substance fundamentally depends on the used solventas well as on temperature and pressure.

6. Hardness is the measure of how resistant solid matter is to various kinds ofpermanent shape change when a force is applied

7. Brittleness opposite of being ductile, easily being fractured in small amount ofstress or force.

Ex: Glass, Biscuits, Ceramics, Porcelain

8. Tenacity is the measure of strength.Ex: Iron, Diamond, Platinum and Hard alloys

9. Plasticity of a material undergoing non-reversible changes of shape in responseto applied forces.

ability to be molded and they could not return to original formEx: Clay, plastic, copper

10.Capillarity ability of liquid to rise easily in thin tubes or in porous materials.

Ex: water moves up in glass tubings, water absorbed by roots, water absorbedby a sponge

11.Porosity measure of the void spaces or pores in a material, this make the materialmore absorbent.

Ex: Sponge, cotton, cloth, paper

12.Viscosity the resistance of a fluid to flow.Ex: Honey is more viscous than water

13.Fluidity opposite of viscosity, the ease of flow of a liquid

Ex: Water is more fluid than honey

14.Boiling Point the temperature where a liquid turns into gas.

15.Freezing Point the temperature where a substance turns into solid or solidifies.

16.Melting point the temperature where a solid melts and turns into liquid.

Chemical Property: a property that becomes evident during a chemical reaction. This isquality that can be established only by changing a substance's chemical identity. These

are properties that are observed when chemical change takes place. Also included are theproperties that are observed in an atomic or molecular level.

Reactivity against other chemical substances

Heat of combustion

Chemical stability in a given environment

Preferred oxidation state

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Capability to undergo a certain set of transformations, for examplemolecular dissociation, chemical combination, redox reactions under certain physicaconditions in the presence of another chemical substance

Preferred types of chemical bonds to form, for example metallic, ionic, covalent