Matter

Matter

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Questions of the Day

A word meaning the role of a living thing within an ecosystem?

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What is the process that plants use to make their own food?

Chemical Properties

Properties are characteristic of matter that can be observed or measured. Properties can be classified into two different types. Physical properties can be observed or measured without changing the kind of matter. When chemical properties are observed, the kind of matter changes.

Experiment

Chemical properties of vinegar include that it is an acid. To observe this property, you could add vinegar to baking soda.

What do you observe?

Why do you think this happened?

Chemical properties

Chemical properties can be observed only when the type of matter changes. The table lists several other chemical changes you may have observed.

Chemical properties

• Ability to Burn: ability to burn is a chemical property of certain materials, such as wood.

• Reaction with Air: some metals will react with materials in the air, causing the metal to rust or tarnish. Iron rusts. Silver and copper both tarnish. These processes are also called corrosion.

• Change with heated: some matter has the ability to change when heated. Most foods show this chemical property when they are cooked.

Observing and Measuring Matter

Measuring is a way to compare sizes or amounts. People use tools marked with standard units to measure certain properties of matter. A Standard Unit is a unit of measurement that people agree to use . Systems of standard measurement include customary measurement units, such as Feet; Miles; Cups; and Quarts. They system of standard measurement used by scientists is the Metric System.

Measuring Properties

• Mass is the amount of matter in an object. Mass can be measured on an equal pan balance.