SNC 1P

Physical and Chemical Properties

Physical Property observed or measured without forming a new substance
Qualitative physical properties observed with your senses such as physical
state, odour, colour, texture etc.
Quantitative physical properties that you measure and give a number value
such as an objects mass, volume and temperature

Property
Colour and Lustre

PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
Meaning
Examples
The light a substance reflects
gold has lustre
gives it colour and lustre (shine)
concrete is dull

Conductivity

Ability of a substance to conduct

electricity or heat

Density

The amount of matter (mass) in a

given volume of substance.

Ductility

Any solid that can be stretched

into a long wire.

most metals are good

conductors
plastic and glass are
insulators
density of water is 1 g/mL;
the density of gold is 19
g/mL. Gold is denser than
water.
copper/aluminum are ductile
coal is not ductile

A measure of the resistance of a

solid to being scratched.
Measured using the Mohs
hardness scale from 1 to 10.

Mineral talc is soft (1)

An emerald is quite hard
(7.5)
diamond is the hardest (10)

The ability to be hammered or

bent into different shapes.

aluminum is malleable
glass shatters, it is brittle

melting point solid changes to

liquid
boiling point liquid changes to
gas
Ability of a substance to dissolve
in another substance (solvent),
such as water
A measure of how easily a liquid
flows.

melting point of water is 0oC

boiling point of water is
100oC

Hardness

Malleability

Melting and Boiling

Points

Solubility

Viscosity

salt is soluble in water

chalk is not soluble in water
maple syrup is more viscous
than water

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Chemical Property a substances ability to undergo changes and produce one or more new
substances

Property
Combustibility

Reaction with Acid

Reaction with Water

CHEMICAL PROPERTIES
Meaning
Examples
Ability of a substance to burn
gasoline is combustible or
flammable
water is non-flammable
Ability of a substance to react
magnesium metal reacts with
with acid and produce a gas.
acid to produce gas bubbles
gold does not react with acid
Ability of a substance to react
Potassium metal reacts with
with water
water

Answer the following:

1. What property is described by each of
the following?
a) A steel blade can scratch glass.
________________________
b) Water boils at 100oC.
________________________
c) Alcohol is flammable.
________________________
2. Uncooked spaghetti noodles are hard,
brittle, and measure 25.5 cm.
a) Which of these properties are
qualitative?

3. Classify each description as a physical

or chemical property:
a) Woods burns ________________
b) Clay is brown ________________
c) Steel wool rusts ______________
d) A paper clip is 3 cm long _______
4. What physical properties of copper
make it useful in a variety of
applications?

___________________________
b) Which of these properties are
quantitative?
___________________________

5. Surgeons sometimes use metal plates

and screws to hold broken bones
together. What chemical properties do
you think the metal should have?

SNC 1P

Physical and Chemical Properties

Physical Property
Qualitative physical properties observed with your senses such as physical
state, odour, colour, texture etc.
Quantitative physical properties that you measure and give a number value
such as an objects mass, volume and temperature

Property
Colour and Lustre

Conductivity

Density

Ductility

Hardness

Malleability

PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
Meaning

Examples
gold has lustre
concrete is dull
most metals are good
conductors
plastic and glass are
insulators
density of water is 1 g/mL;
the density of gold is 19
g/mL. Gold is denser than
water.
copper/aluminum are ductile
coal is not ductile
Mineral talc is soft (1)
An emerald is quite hard
(7.5)
diamond is hardest (10)
aluminum is malleable
glass shatters, it is brittle

Melting and Boiling

Points

melting point of water is 0oC

boiling point of water is
100oC

Solubility

salt is soluble in water

chalk is not soluble in water

Viscosity

maple syrup is more viscous

than water

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Chemical Property

Property

CHEMICAL PROPERTIES
Meaning

Combustibility

Reaction with Acid

Reaction with Water

Examples to illustrate
variations
gasoline is combustible or
flammable
water is non-flammable
magnesium metal reacts with
acid to produce gas bubbles
gold does not react with acid
Potassium metal reacts with
water

Answer the following:

1. What property is described by each of
the following?
a) A steel blade can scratch glass.

3. Classify each description as a physical

or chemical property:

________________________
b) Water boils at 100oC.
________________________
c) Alcohol is flammable.
i) ________________________
2. Uncooked spaghetti noodles are hard,
brittle, and measure 25.5 cm.
a) Which of these properties are
qualitative?

a) Woods burns ________________

b) Clay is brown ________________
c) Steel wool rusts ______________
d) A paper clip is 3 cm long _______
4. What physical properties of copper
make it useful in a variety of
applications?

___________________________
b) Which of these properties are
quantitative?
___________________________

5. Surgeons sometimes use metal plates

and screws to hold broken bones
together. What chemical properties do
you think the metal should have?

SNC 1P

Characteristic Physical Properties

Properties that are unique to a substance and that can be used to identify the substance
Freezing Point
Temperature at which a substance turns from liquid to solid.
Melting Point
Temperature at which a substance turns from a solid into a liquid.
Example: the freezing and melting point of water is 0oC
Boiling Point
Temperature at which a substance forms bubbles of vapour that escape into the air.
Example: water boils at 100oC

How does salt melt snow and ice?

Pure water freezes at 0oC; adding any impurity such as salt lowers the freezing point of
water. This allows roads to be ice-free even when temperatures dip below 0oC.

Density
Measure of how much mass is contained in a given volume of a substance; you calculate
density by dividing the mass of a sample by its volume.
Each substance has its own characteristic density
Example: density of water is 1g/mL; density of lead is 11.36 g/cm3; density of gold is
19.32g/cm3

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Answer the following questions:
1. Is an inflated life vest more or less dense than an uninflated life vest? Explain.

2. Why is using antifreeze in a car engine better than using water alone?

3. A drinking glass at a crime scene contains a clear, colourless liquid that could be pure water. You are
the investigator. Before you send the liquid to a lab for testing, you want to rule out the possibility
that the glass contains water. Use what you know about the characteristic properties of water to
design a simple test.

4. Megan tested several properties of isopropyl alcohol, sometimes called rubbing alcohol, in a lab
investigation. She found that its volume was 50 mL, its freezing point was 89oC, and it was
colourless. Which of these is a characteristic property?

5. Aluminum has a density of 2.7 g/cm3. Copper has a density of 8.96 g/cm3. Which metal would you
choose to build a model airplane? Why?

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Inquiry

/ 20

Name: _______________________

Identifying Substances Using Properties

Question: (1 mark)

Hypothesis: (1 mark)

Procedure: follow directions from text

Observations: (5 marks)
Data Table for Identifying Substances
Property
1
State
(gas/solid/liquid)
Colour
Clarity
(clear/opaque)
Crystal Shape
Behaviour in
water
(soluble/insoluble)
Behaviour in acid
Identity of solid

Unknown Substance
3

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Analysis and Communication
1. Analyze your observations by answering the following questions:
a) For each of the five solids, explain how you decided on its identity. (5 marks)
Salt
Baking soda
Chalk
Sodium nitrate
Sodium thiosulfate
b) List 2 physical properties that you examined in this activity? (2 marks)
i) ___________________
ii) ___________________
c) Which chemical property did you examine? (1 mark)
______________________
d) Which samples were the most difficult to identify? (2 marks)

Understanding Concepts
2. Describe three everyday situations in which it would be useful to identify unknown substances.
Explain how you would identify the substances. (3 marks)

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Physical and Chemical Changes

Physical Changes: are changes that result in no new substance being produced; it may
change form or state.
Chemical Changes: are changes that produce new substances that have different
properties from the original substance.
To tell the difference between a property and a change, remember that a property
describes something. The table is pink and That wood will burn easily describe
properties. A change involves action. The table was painted pink and The wood is
burning both tell about a change.
Complete the following chart:
Event
Tearing paper into pieces
Burning paper
Pouring ketchup on food
Digesting French fries
Burning gasoline in an
engine
Sunburning skin
Applying lipstick
Sandpapering wood
Melting ice cream
Growing hair
Condensing water on a
mirror

New Substance
Produced
(Y/N)

Kind of Change
(PHYSICAL or
CHEMICAL)

SNC 1P

Answer the following questions:

1. Classify each of the following as a physical or chemical change:
a) Folding a paper airplane

_________________

b) Water freezing on a windshield

_________________

c) A car rusting

_________________

d) Dissolving flavour crystals in water

_________________

e) Making a campfire

_________________

2. A candle burns for 15 min, and some wax drips and collects at the base of the candle.
The candle becomes shorter.
a) What changes were physical changes? Explain.

b) Was there any evidence of a chemical change? Explain.

3. What evidence suggests that these changes are chemical changes?

a) Bubbles form when baking soda is mixed with lemon juice.
____________________________________________________________________
b) Cookies baking in the oven give off a delicious aroma.
____________________________________________________________________
c) A match is struck and ignites.
____________________________________________________________________
d) Bleach turns a pink towel white.
____________________________________________________________________
4. Why is dissolving salt in water a physical change not a chemical change?