Name: ___________________________________________ Date: __________________ Hour: _____
Physical and Chemical Properties of Matter
Directions: As you read the text below, C.U.S.S. it out! No, you’re not actually using bad words – you’re analyzing
what you read. After you analyze the text, answer the questions at the end.
C = Circle or highlight main ideas and important terms in each paragraph
U = Underline supporting ideas or important facts that support the main idea in each paragraph
S = Star confusing words or phrases that you have questions about
S = Summarize what you read
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All matter has properties. We recognize a person by
his face, voice, height, fingerprints, DNA,
and other factors. The more properties
identified, the better we know the
person. In a similar way, matter has
many properties. The two basic types of
properties associated with matter are
physical and chemical.
Physical Properties
Physical properties do not change the chemical
nature of matter. A physical change occurs in shape,
form, or appearance but no new substance is created.
Examples of physical properties include color, odor,
hardness, texture, luster, volume or size, shape,
solubility (ability to dissolve), molecular polarity
(positively or negatively charged), freezing, boiling
and melting points, taste, magnetism, density,
salinity, absorbency, and many others.
Solubility and polarity are classified as physical
properties because no new substances are produced
as a result of testing for these properties.
Classification of Matter
A substance is more easily
identified when many
properties have been
recognized. Matter is sorted and classified according
to its properties. For example, the property of a
substance being metal or nonmetal determines part
of that substance’s classification on the periodic table.
Copper is a metallic substance with a shiny, reddish-
color, and a density of 89.2 grams per cubic
centimeter. It is nonmagnetic, and has good electrical
conductivity.
Properties of Water
Properties of water you are familiar with are
transparency, color,
melting and freezing
temperatures, solubility,
and other factors. There
are other properties with
which you may not be as
familiar. When electrons
are not shared equally in a
molecule, it is said to be
polar. This is the situation
with water, H2O. The water
molecule is neutral as a
whole, but one end tends to be positive and one end
tends to be negative. Each end of one water molecule
is attracted to the end of another molecule. This
attraction causes water molecules to stick together
and create surface
tension. This is why
it hurts so much to
do a “belly buster”
off the high diving
board. The water
molecules will not
separate easily to
allow you to enter the water. A lot of the energy from
your fall is transferred back to your body. The sticking
together of like atoms or molecules in the above
O
H
H
+
+
-
O
H
H
+
O
H
H
+
+
