Physical Properties: What We Can Observe
Warm Up:
1. Choose an item that you have with you. Pretend you have to describe it to a blind
person. How would you describe it? Write your description in the space provided:
2. Let’s look at a Styrofoam cup. How can we describe it? Write down the description:
3. What happens when it is mixed with acetone (which can be found in nail polish
remover)?
What are physical properties?
All substances have ___________________________ that can be used to identify them.
________________________ ______________________ is a characteristic of a substance that
can be observed or measured without forming a new substance. There are two types of
physical properties:
1. ________________________: those you can observe using your senses. Remember we
never taste anything in the lab and you should ask before you touch something!
 Odour
 Colour
 Texture
 Lustre – how shiny something is
 Brittleness – how likely something is to break
 Hardness – the ability to be scratched or dented
2. _______________________________: those you measure and use numbers to
communicate. Think…quantity=quantitative
 Mass
 Volume
 Boiling point
 Melting point
__________________________________ – is the ability of a substance to dissolve. For
example Kool Aid crystals have high solubility with water, that’s why you can drink it. Oil has
low solubility in water that’s why you can see it like a rainbow on wet pavement.
Useful Physical Properties:
Many substances are useful because of their physical properties.
_____________________________ – is found in bullet-proof vests because it is very strong. It
is 5 times stronger than steel!
______________________________ – is very brittle which is what makes it useful for writing
on chalkboards or sidewalks. It is also not soluble and absorbs moisture easily.
Today’s Tasks
Complete the following work:
1. What are the physical properties of chocolate?
2. Put a checkmark in the appropriate column:
Description
Water boils at 100C
The balloon is red
Copper conducts electricity well
Diamonds are the hardest substance known
A bottle of juice is 500mL
Candle wax can be dented easily
A penny has a mass of 5.2 grams
Qualitative
Quantitative
3. Uncooked spaghetti noodles are hard, brittle and measure 25.5cm in length.
a. Which of these properties are qualitative?
b. Which of these are quantitative properties?
4. What properties of chalk make it useful to a gymnast or weightlifter?
5. What properties of chalk make it useful for a teacher?
6. What are some properties of sandpaper? Why is it useful?
7. What are some properties of duct tape? Why is it useful?