Understanding the properties of materials helps us to understand what they can be used for. This helps us to choose the right material to meet a need and allows us to design new technologies.
21.1 What is a property?
Physical property
Something you can observe without changing a substance.
A property of a material is a way of describing that material. It can be something that is seen or observed. A property can also be a way of describing how a material reacts with something else, or how it behaves when it gains or loses energy. A physical property of a substance is something you can observe without changing the substance. Examples include:
Chemical
property The way in which a material reacts with other materials.
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
Colour Smell State (solid, liquid or gas) Texture (rough or smooth, etc.) Lustre (shiny or dull) Hardness (how likely it is to scratch another material)
A chemical property is the way that a material reacts with other materials and new substances are made. For example, a chemical property of methane gas is that it reacts with oxygen to form carbon dioxide and water.
Activity Collect a variety of materials such as those listed in the table on the following page and describe their physical properties. Create a similar results table in your copybook and fill it in. Note: It will not be possible to describe every material using every property listed.
