Physical and Chemical Properties of Matter – Study Guide –
Test Day – Thursday 6/9
1.
Physical Property – a characteristic of matter that you can observe using your senses – how
something looks, smells, sounds, or tastes (color, size, shape, texture). You do not need to
change the matter to observe physical properties.
Examples of Physical Properties that you need to know:
*state
*volume
*weight
*mass
*color
*size
*shape
*solubility (able to dissolve)
*conductivity (ability to conduct heat or electricity
2.
Chemical Properties – a property that cannot by observed without altering the substance. It
is the ability of a substance to go through a change that makes it a different substance.
Examples of chemical properties that you need to know:
*flammability
*color change
*tendency to rust
*odor change
*reactivity
*production of heat, light & sound
3.
Physical Change – when a substance changes its form or appearance, but the molecules have
not changed. It has the same chemical composition before and after the change. Sometimes it
is easy to change the substance back it original form, like melted ice can be frozen again if
placed in a freezer.
Examples:
 shape or size change – folding, bending, crumpling, cutting, tearing, grinding, etc.
 dissolving – when a solid substance turns into a liquid when put into another liquid, like
sugar in ice tea
 vaporization – liquid to gas
 condensation – gas to liquid
 freezing – liquid to solid
 melting – solid to liquid
4.
Chemical change – a change in a substance that makes it a completely different substance
with different properties. The molecules have broken apart and rearranged in a different way.
These cannot be easily changed back to the original substance, if at all.
Examples:
 burning – substances react with oxygen
 rusting – iron reacts with oxygen in the air
 reactivity with an acid – like vinegar with baking soda
 spoiling food – rotten banana, apple turning brown, sour milk or moldy cheese
 other common examples –baking a cake, leaves changing color, fireworks
5.
Clues to Chemical changes – since we can’t see molecules changing, we look for clues to a
chemical change.
Examples:
 color change – like leaves in the fall, or food as its cooks
 change in temperature – energy can be absorbed or released, so temperature can go up
or down
 sound production – like a blast
 gas production – you’ll see a fizzing or foaming
 odor production – like rotten food
 Rust
6.
Conservation of Mass – when a chemical reaction takes place no new matter is created or
destroyed. The particles or molecules split apart into their atoms and rearrange to form
different molecules, which are a different substance, but no atoms were created or destroyed.
So, the total mass before and after a chemical (or physical) change will be the same.
7.
Compound – a pure substance that is made up of two or more elements that have been
bonded together. example: water H20, carbon dioxide CO2 , salt NaCl (water is a molecule and
a compound).
8. Mixture – two or more substances that are combined but NOT chemically bonded. Example:
air, chex mix, Italian dressing, Koolaid, salt water, blood.