Describing &

Classifying Matter

Copyright © 2001, McGraw-Hill Ryerson Limited

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• You must observe matter carefully to describe it well

• Characteristics that help you describe and identify

matter are called properties

• Properties may be physical or chemical

Physical Properties
• A property that can be observed or measured without
changing the composition of matter
– used to observe and describe matter

• Physical properties can be subcategorized as

qualitative or quantitative properties
• Qualitative properties (hint: quality) can be described
with words and cannot be measured

• Quantitative properties (hint: quantity - how much?) can

be measured and expressed numerically

Chemical Properties
• A property that you can observe when one kind of matter
is converted into a different kind of matter
Example: a chemical property of iron is that it reacts with
oxygen to form a different kind of matter: rust

• Rust and iron have completely different physical and

chemical properties
 Physical Properties Chemical Properties
Qualitative Quantitative
physical state melting point reactivity with water
colour boiling point reactivity with air
odour density reactivity with pure oxygen
crystal shape solubility reactivity with acids
reactivity with pure
malleability electrical conductivity
substances
ductility thermal conductivity combustibility
hardness toxicity
brittleness decomposition
 Changes to Matter
• Matter is constantly changing and it’s change is due to its
response to changes in energy
– Energy can make matter move or change entirely
– Energy can either be added or taken away from matter

• A change in state alters the appearance of matter and

NOT its composition
– i.e. Ice melts into liquid water - continue to add heat and it
evaporates (molecule of water is H2O throughout ALL 3 states)

• Physical Change - a change, such as a change of state,

that does not alter the composition of matter
• Chemical Change - a change that alters the composition
of matter
– i.e. iron rusting, decomposition of water, wood burning,
baking bread, cooking an egg, lighting a match

Classifying Matter
• All matter can be classified into two groups: mixtures
and pure substances
• A mixture is a physical combination of two or more
kinds of matter
– i.e. Soil is a mixture of sand, clay, silt and decomposed
leaves and animal bodies
• Components in a mixture can occur in different
proportions.

• Mixtures in which the different components are

clearly visible are called heterogeneous mixtures
– i.e. sand and water combines

• Mixtures in which the components are blended

together that it looks like one substance are
called homogeneous mixtures
– i.e. clean air, saltwater, grape juice

• A pure substance has a definite composition, which stays

the same in response to a change in state
– i.e. water, sodium, carbon dioxide, gold
• Pure substances can be classified as either elements or
compounds
• An element is a pure substance that cannot be
separated chemically into any simpler substance
– i.e. gold, copper, sodium, oxygen (any isolated element
on the periodic table)
• A compound is a pure substance that results when two or
more elements combine chemically to form a different
substance
– i.e. CO2, H2O
http://resource.rockyview.ab.ca/rvlc/science8/Sci8%20U1%20MixFlow/Sci8U1%20pictures/matter2.jpg