Matter and Physical Properties
Matter is anything that has mass and takes up space. Objects made of matter
can be very different from each other. Each object has its own set of characteristics, or
properties. For example, one property of a piece of candy is its color. Another is its
taste.
Color, hardness, and taste are examples of physical properties. An object’s
ability to conduct heat, sound, or electricity or to become a magnet are also physical
properties. Physical properties are characteristics of a substance that can be observed
or measured without changing the substance into something else.
Some physical properties, such as color,
can be observed directly. Other physical
properties, such as length, must be measured.
Measurements are especially useful in science
because they provide more exact descriptions of
matter than direct observations do.
You can tell these balls apart by examining the
physical properties of size, mass, and color.
√What are some examples of physical properties?