Week 6 - Chemical Properties of Matter Flashcards
Look at the two garden trowels pictured here. Both trowels were left outside for several weeks. One tool became
rusty, but the other did not. The tool that rusted is made of iron, and the other tool is made of aluminum. The ability
to rust is a chemical property of iron but not aluminum
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properties that can be measured or observed only when matter undergoes a change to
become an entirely different kind of matter. For example, the ability of iron to rust can only be observed when iron
actually rusts. When it does, it combines with oxygen to become a different substance called iron oxide. Iron is very
hard and silver in color, whereas iron oxide is flakey and reddish brown. Besides the ability to rust, other chemical
properties include reactivity and flammability
Chemical Properties
the ability of matter to combine chemically with other substances. Some kinds of matter are extremely
reactive; others are extremely unreactive. For example, potassium is very reactive, even with water. When a peasized piece of potassium is added to a small amount of water, it reacts explosively. You can observe this reaction in
the video below. (Caution: Don’t try this at home!) In contrast, noble gases such as helium almost never react with
any other substances.
Reactivity
the ability of matter to burn. When matter burns, it combines with oxygen and changes to different
substances. Wood is an example of flammable matter,
Flammability
How can you tell that wood ashes are a different substance than wood?
Ashes have different properties than wood. For example, ashes are gray and powdery, whereas wood is brown
and hard.
What are some other substances that have the property of flammability?
A: Substances called fuels have the property of flammability. They include fossil fuels such as coal, natural gas, and
petroleum, as well as fuels made from petroleum, such as gasoline and kerosene. Substances made of wood, such as
paper and cardboard, are also flammable.
properties that can be measured or observed only when matter undergoes a change to
become an entirely different kind of matter. They include reactivity, flammability, and the ability to rust.
Chemical Properties
the ability of matter to react chemically with other substances
Reactivity
the ability of matter to burn.
Flammability
