Physical Properties
What are physical properties?
Characteristics that can be observed without changing a substance into something new.
What are chemical properties?
Characteristics observed only when matter changes into a new substance
What is the smallest particle of an element?
An atom
What forms when two or more elements combine chemically?
A compound
What is the measure of how much matter something contains?
Mass
Name two physical properties you can detect with your senses.
Color, texture, odor
Which chemical property describes how easily a substance burns?
Flammability
How is one element different from another?
The number of protons
Is lemonade a compound or a mixture? Explain your reasoning.
It's a mixture because the ingredients aren't chemically combined
What happens to an object’s weight if it’s taken to Mars?
It decreases because Mars has less gravity
Which state of matter has particles packed most closely together?
Solid
When iron rusts, what new substance forms?
Iron oxide
Which element gives off a red glow when electricity passes through it?
Neon
Identify the compound formed when carbon reacts with oxygen (we breathe this out)
Carbon dioxide
How is density calculated?
Mass divided by volume
Explain why a bowling ball feels heavier than a volleyball of the same size.
The bowling ball’s particles are packed more tightly, making it denser
Explain why helium is used in balloons instead of hydrogen, even though hydrogen is lighter.
Because helium is unreactive and safe, while hydrogen is flammable and explosive?
Explain why a piece of iron and a nail made of iron have the same properties.
Because both are made of the same element with identical atoms
Compare and contrast mixtures and compounds in terms of composition and bonding.
Explain why cutting a block in half does not change its density.
Because the material’s mass and volume decrease proportionally, keeping density the same
A student says snow and sand are “the same” because both are solids. Explain why they are still physically different substances.
Because their color, texture, densities, boiling point, melting point, freezing points differ — they have different physical properties
A student says reactivity and flammability are the same thing. Use examples to explain how they’re different.
Reactivity describes how substances combine chemically (like sodium and water), while flammability is the ability to burn (like wood and oxygen)
Carbon atoms are found in both coal and sugar. Analyze how these two substances can have such different properties.
Because the atoms are arranged differently and bonded with different elements, forming new compounds
Analyze how you could separate a mixture of sand and salt water using physical properties.
Filter out the sand with a sift and then boil the water.
A student has two rocks with the same mass but different densities. What can they conclude about the rocks’ volumes and materials?
The rocks must have different volumes and are made of different materials