Question

Identify each physical property as extensive or intensive. \(\begin{array}{ll}{\text { a. melting point }} & {\text { c. density }} \\\ {\text { b. mass }} & {\text { d. length }}\end{array}\)

Short answer

a. Melting Point: Intensive Property b. Mass: Extensive Property c. Density: Intensive Property d. Length: Extensive Property

Step-by-step solution

a. Melting Point

Melting point is an intensive property, as it does not depend on the amount of substance. The melting point of a substance will remain the same no matter how much of the substance is present.

b. Mass

Mass is an extensive property, as it depends on the amount of substance. The mass of a system will increase as more substance is added to it.

c. Density

Density is an intensive property, as it does not depend on the amount of substance. It is defined as mass per unit volume, and the ratio will remain the same regardless of the quantity of material.

d. Length

Length is an extensive property, as it depends on the amount of substance. The length of a system or object will increase as more material is added to it.

Key concepts

Intensive Properties

Intensive properties are fascinating aspects of chemistry because they do not change with the amount of the substance you're dealing with. This means that a small sample and a large sample of the same material will have the same intensive properties. Imagine boiling water in a small pot versus a giant pot—the boiling point remains the same despite the amount. Intensive properties are indicative of the type of material or substance you're analyzing. They help in identifying and understanding particular features of materials.Here are some examples:

• Melting point: This is the temperature at which a solid turns into a liquid. For any pure substance, like pure ice, the melting point is stable regardless of how much ice you have.
• Density: Defined as mass per unit volume (\( \text{Density} = \frac{\text{Mass}}{\text{Volume}} \)), density does not change whether you have a teaspoon or a bucket of the substance.
• Color and temperature are also intensive properties, providing useful identifiers for material consistency.

These properties are often used in laboratories for quick tests to identify unknown substances because they remain consistent.

Extensive Properties

Extensive properties, unlike intensive properties, change when the size or amount of the sample changes. They are additive for subsystems, meaning that if you have two separate systems, the extensive properties can be combined to understand the total system. Let's say you have two water bottles; the total volume when you combine the contents is the sum of the individual volumes. Examples include:

• Mass: Directly correlates with the amount of substance. Adding more substance increases the mass.
• Length: If you have a piece of rope and cut it in half, each piece’s length will change. However, if you join two ropes together, the length increases.
• Volume: Similarly, the volume changes based on how much material you have—combine two separate volumes, and you get a larger total volume.

Understanding these properties helps in calculating quantities in chemical reactions and processes, as well as in industrial applications where scaling is common.

Chemistry Concepts

Chemistry involves numerous fundamental concepts that help explain the behavior and properties of different materials. Two crucial categories of properties in chemistry are intensive and extensive properties. They define how certain elements or compounds behave under various conditions and are essential for scientists to characterize materials. Chemistry concepts include understanding the habits of molecules and atoms in various states and how they interact with each other. Focus areas include:

• Chemical Reactions: How substances change with heat, catalyst, or mixing.
• Thermodynamics: The study of heat and energy flow, including temperature and entropy.
• Molecular Structure: Shape and bonding affect how properties manifest.

By grasping these concepts, students and chemists can predict reactions, understand materials at a microscopic level, and innovate in creating new materials.