Name:
Graded Work#________
Intensive/Extensive Properties
Introduction
An important distinction in science is between intensive and extensive properties. Intensive properties are things that are
in a substance no matter how much of it you have. For example, the density of a pure, homogeneous substance is the same
whether you have 1kg, 2kg, 10,000kg, or 109kg. Intensive properties cannot be added or subtracted when you add or take away
some of the substance.
Extensive properties depend on how much of a substance you have. For example, an extensive property is length. An
object 5cm long is shorter than an object 10cm long and if you lay each one end to end you have a total length of 15cm. The same
could be said of area, volume, and mass. Adding 24g to 48g gives you 72g. Always ask yourself whether a property is extensive or
intensive before trying to add to or subtract it from other data.
Group Activity
1. Make a list of properties under the following two headings; use your notes or the textbook as a guide:
Intensive Properties
Extensive Properties
2. Fill a 1000mL beaker with water so that it reaches to about 800mL.
Take the temperature of the water and write it here:
3. Separate the water into three portions by pouring a third of it into each of two beakers. The third portion will stay in the original
beaker. Take the temperature of the water in each beaker. Find the approximate volume in each beaker and write your data here:
Temperature 1)
Volume
1)
2)
2)
3)
3)
Add the volume:
Add the temperature:
Which of the two previous additions makes sense? Why?
4. Does the temperature you find by adding all three temperatures together equal the temperature of the original beaker?
5. What information do you get by adding the volumes of the separated liquid? Is volume an extensive or intensive property?
6. What information do you get by adding the temperatures of the separated liquid? Is temperature an extensive or intensive
property?
7. Classify each of the following as an extensive or intensive property.
The volume of coke in a cup.
The percentage of sugar in coke.
The number of calories of energy you derive from eating a banana.
The number of calories of energy made available to your body when you consume 10.0 grams of sugar.
The mass of iron present in your blood.
The mass of iron present in 5 mL of your blood.
8. Determine if the following are extensive or intensive properties.
Mass
Density
Length
Color
9. Define in your own words:
Insensitive Properties-
Extensive Properties-
Reactivity
Volume
Malleability
Luster