Download Examples of physical properties

Notes—Physical Properties
 Matter: anything that has mass and takes up space
 Mass: the amount of mass in an object; usually use grams (g) as unit of measure
 Weight: the effect of gravity on a mass
o Weight can change depending on where you are (Earth, the moon, Mars)
 Volume: the amount of space that an object takes up; use liters (L) for liquids or
cm3 for square objects
 Density: how tightly an object’s mass is packed into its volume
o D=
(should make a heart shape)
 Physical property: a property that can be ovserved or measured without changing
the substance itself
 Element: a pure substance that is composed of the same type of matter
throughout and cannot be divided into simpler substances through normal
processes
 State of matter: solid, liquid or gas
Examples of physical properties
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
Ductile: can it be pulled into a wire
Color: what color it is
Odor: how it smells
Texture: how it feels
Luster: the way light reflects, is it shiny
Hardness: the ability of a mineral to resist being scratched (Mohs scale—a
diamond is the hardest at a 10)
Conductivity: how easily electricity or heat moves through
Magnetism: is it magnetic
Malleable: can it be hammered into sheets
Streak: color the mineral makes on a tile plate
Solubility: does it dissolve in water
Brittle: how easily it breaks
Sonorous: a sound is produced when a metal is struck (bell)