1. Properties of Matter

2. Properties of matter - can be used to describe both an object, and also the substance it is made of. For example, a knife that is made of steel is shiny, sharp and heavy. shiny-ness is a property of the substance, (steel) sharpness and the heaviness are properties of the knife

3. General Properties General Properties – describe the matter in any way. may vary with the amount of substance present. Many substances share general properties including: – Color – Shape – Volume – Mass – Texture – Lustre

4. Characteristic Properties Describe the matter in a way that makes it easier to identify the substance. Characteristic properties are either unique to that substance or they reduce the number of possibilities significantly. Does not vary with the amount of substance present. Density Reactivity (flammable, etc.) Boiling point Freezing/Melting point Solubility

5. Density Density is a characteristic property because few substances have the same exact density. No matter how much of the substance you have the density is always the same. Density is the ratio of mass to volume in a substance. (the amount of matter in a certain amount of space)

6. Density To calculate the density of a substance find the mass and the volume and then divide mass by volume. Density = Mass Volume The units will be in g/mL or g/cm 3 Mass and volume are not characteristic properties. You can’t tell what substance you have by the mass or the volume of it alone.