Chemical+Properties

"The properties of a substance are those characteristics that are used to identify or describe it. When we say that water is "wet", or that silver is "shiny", we are describing materials in terms of their properties. Properties can be divided into the categories of physical properties and chemical properties. Physical properties are readily observable, like; color, size, luster, or smell. Chemical properties are only observable during a chemical reaction. For example, you might not know if sulfur is combustible unless you tried to burn it.

"Another way of separating kinds of properties is to think about whether or not the size of a sample would affect a particular property. No matter how much pure copper you have, it always has the same distinctive color. No matter how much water you have, it always freezes at zero degrees Celsius under standard atmospheric conditions. Methane gas is combustible, no matter the size of the sample. Properties, which do not depend on the size of the sample involved, like those described above, are called intensive properties. Some of the most common intensive properties are; density, freezing point, color, melting point, reactivity, luster, malleability, and conductivity." (link )