Chemical Properties

Properties and changes are used to describe matter. A property is a trait of matter, when that sample of matter is in a fixed state. There are two different types of properties: physical properties and chemical properties. A change is something that alters the properties of a substance. There are two types of changes: chemical changes and physical changes. A physical property is a property that can be observed without changing the makeup (or composition) of a substance. Some examples of a physical properties are texture, color, smell, and density. These are properties that can be measured without changing the makeup of matter. In the lab, there were many examples of physical properties. One example was the portion of the lab (Station 9) in which we observed baking soda, before we added it to vinegar. The baking soda had some physical properties as well. It was a white, powdery, solid, before being added to the vinegar. The color was white and the texture was powdery. Another example of physical properties in the lab was the salt, before it was placed in water. The salt was a smooth white solid. The texture
Chemical properties are properties which can be observed when the chemical composition of the substance is changed. Some examples of chemical properties are flammability (ability to burn), oxidation states, and reactivity. These properties are measured after changing the composition (makeup) of a substance. There were many examples of chemical properties in the lab. For example, in the lab, we set wood on fire. The wood burned and was released into the air in the form of gas. There was ash remaining. A chemical property of the wood would be flammability, because it has the ability to burn. Another station of the lab involved copper. The copper was heated over a flame, and it changed color. This shows that copper has the chemical property called flammability. Copper has the ability to burn, so it is