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2.1: PHYSICAL & CHEMICAL

PROPERTIES
A) Physical Properties:
Relates to the physical appearance of the
substance.

(i) Qualitative:
Uses senses (sight, smell, odour, taste & touch)

Example:
Colour, shape, odour, etc.

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(ii) Quantitative:

Uses numbers.

Example:
Mass, volume, temperature, density, etc.

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B) Chemical Properties:

• Describes how a substance reacts when it

comes into contact with another substance.

Example:
When substance A is mixed with substance
B, bubbles formed.

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• Usually involve the formation of bubbles (gas
being formed)
• This means something has changed about the
chemical make-up

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2.2: CHARACTERISTIC
PROPERTIES
Allow you to identify the substance

These things are “unique” to that substance

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A) Examples of Characteristic
Properties: • Density
• Melting point
• Freezing point
• Boiling point
• Etc.

Examples:
a) Only aluminum has a density of 2.7g/mL
b) Only water boils at 100ºC

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B) The Density Equation:

d = m
V

d: density [g/mL] or [g/cm3]

m:mass [g]
V: volume [mL] or [cm3]

Practice Problems:
Hand out

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C) Of Groups of Substances:

Examples:

i) Alcohols:
They’re all flammable

ii) Acids:
They all turn litmus paper red

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 2.3: NON-CHARACTERISTIC PROPERTIES

one substance or groups of substances

They don’t allow you to identify anything

These things could be true for more than one

substance or group of substances

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Examples that would likely be
Non-Characteristic:
• Color
• Shape
• Size
• Odor
• Texture
• Viscosity
• Mass
• Volume
• Temperature

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 2.4: SOLIDS

A) Characteristic Properties:

Density

The Density of a solid is always a characteristic

property

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B) Non-Characteristic
properties:
See slide 11.
These properties could not be used to identify a
solid with certainty

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2.5: LIQUIDS

A) Characteristic Properties:

Density

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ii) Red & Blue Litmus Paper
• Acids: R-->R and B-->R
• Bases: R-->B and B-->B
• Neutral: R-->R and B-->B

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Examples:

Are neutral:
- Salt H2O
- De-ionized H2O
- Tap H2O

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B) Non-Characteristic Properties:

i) See Slide 11

These can not be used for identification

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ii) Cobalt Chloride Paper
(demo)
• Contains H2O: B-->P
• Does not contain H2O:B-->B

This is ONLY used to show if water is present

Examples:
Contain H2O:
- Diluted acids
- Diluted bases
- H2 O

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iii) Electrical Conductivity

Conducts electricity:
- Bubbles form at electrodes

Note:
- Many bubbles = conducts a lot
- Few bubbles = conducts a bit

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• Does not conduct electricity:
- Bubbles don’t form at the
electrodes

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Examples:

• Conduct:
- Acids
- Bases
- Salt H2O

• Doesn’t conduct:
- De-ionized H2O

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iv) Viscosity:

Viscous = “thick”

Examples:
- Oil
- Corn syrup

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Inviscid = “thin”

Examples:
- Water

Experiment:
Properties of Liquids (Hand-Out)

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 2.6: GASES

A) Characteristic Properties:

i) Carbon Dioxide (CO2):

• Puts out a flame (demo)

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• Turns limewater cloudy

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 ii) Oxygen (O2):

• Makes a glowing splint re-ignite (demo)

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iii) Hydrogen (H2):

• Lighter than air

• Makes a burning splint pop (demo)

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 The Hindenburg Disaster
• German airship
• Dimensions: 804 feet X 135 feet
• Cruised at 126 km/h

May 6th, 1937

New Jersey

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B) Non-Characteristic Properties:

See slide 11

Experiment 2.6:
Properties of Gases (Hand-Out)

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2.7: THE BUNSEN BURNER

Robert Bunsen
(1822 - 1899)

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A) Anatomy of the burner:

Mouth

Air adjustment

Gas adjustment

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B) Before You Turn It On:

Make sure that:

1. The gas valve is closed
2. There are no objects in the air adjustment (look)
3. Both adjustments are closed, but not tightly

Note:
To close: turn C.W.
To open: turn C.C.W.
Beware this depends on from which direction you look!!!

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C) To Turn It On:

1. Connect the hose to the valve

2. Turn gas valve on
3. Light a match
4. Place match over mouth of burner
5. Slowly turn on gas adjustment until flame is
correct height
6. Move matches away
7. Turn on air adjustment for a blue flame

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 Do not go from one adjustment to another
quickly !

Flames could come out from the bottom and

burn your hand!

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D) To Turn It Off:

1. Turn gas valve off

2. Disconnect hose from valve
3. Close both adjustments

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