1. BC Science Probe 7 Section 4.1 Pages 91-93
Properties of Matter
BC Science Probe 7
Section 4.1
Pages 91-93

2. Properties of Matter
A property is a characteristic that may help to identify a substance.
Properties can be observed using our five senses.
Sight
Sound
Taste
Smell
Touch

3. Properties of Matter
Properties can also be identified using tests and measurements.

4. Properties of Matter
Some properties that we can observe with our senses are colour, taste, texture, odour, lustre and clarity.
You can see how these are used to describe matter in the following table…

5. Property
Describing the property
Colour
Is it black, white, colourless, red, blue, greenish-yellow…?
Taste
Is it sweet, salty, sour, bitter…?
Texture
Is it fine, coarse, smooth, gritty…?
Odour
Is it odourless, spicy, sharp, burnt…?
Lustre
Is it shiny, dull…?
Clarity
Is it clear, cloudy, opaque, translucent…?

6. States of Matter Solid, liquid and gas are the states of matter.
You can use your senses to observe these.

7. States of Matter
Some substances can be found in all three states, it just depends on the temperature:
Water
Solid – ice
Liquid – water
Gas – water vapour

8. Properties You Can Measure
We can use tests to determine some properties.
We could see which substances dissolve in water.
We could see which substances float and which ones sink.

9. Properties You Can Measure
Melting and Boiling Points
Melting point:
The temperature at which the solid form of the substance changes to a liquid.
Water changes from solid ice to liquid water at 0⁰C so the melting point of water is 0⁰C.
The freezing point is the same as the melting point. It is when the substance is cooled and goes from liquid to solid.

10. Properties You Can Measure
Melting and Boiling Points
Boiling point:
The temperature at which a liquid changes into a gas.
Liquid water changes to water vapour at 100⁰C so the boiling point of water is 100⁰C.

11. Properties You Can Measure

12. Properties You Can Measure

13. Properties You Can Measure

14. Properties You Can Measure