Examples of Chemical Properties

General Chemistry Index

Where are we going with this? The point of this deck is to give the background information and examples so that we can differentiate between substances (pure and mixtures) based on physical and chemical properties.

Examples of Chemical Properties

A chemical property is any of a material's properties that becomes evident during or after a chemical reaction; that is, any quality that can be established only by changing a substance's chemical identity. 

Two easily understandable chemical properties are flammability and reactivity.

Flammability

Flammability is a material's ability to burn in the presence of oxygen.

Burning is a chemical reaction in which molecules of the flammable substance combine with oxygen and give off energy that causes the air nearby to glow and give off light (flame).

Reactivity

Reactivity is the property that describes how readily a substance combines chemically with other substances.

Substances react with other substances in different ways. Some things are highly reactive and others are not. Oxygen is an example of something that reacts easily. Nitrogen is an example of something that does not.

Reactivity is often cited with relationship to a specific other substance. For instance different materials have different degrees of reactivity to water or reactivity to air.

Many chemical properties require a more advanced understanding of chemistry, but here are a some of them:

• Toxicity

• Types of chemical bonds that can be formed

• Heat of combustion: how much energy is given of when it burns

• Enthalpy of formation

• Acidity or basicity

• Radioactivity

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For additional information…

Reactivity Virtual Lab

Properties of Matter Overview