Physical Properties

Density

Density is the measure of how solid an object is. A material such as polystyrene has low density. Polystyrene is a kind of hard plastic that is used to make soft cups, food containers, and ice chests. Even a big polystyrene ice chest does not weigh much. This is because the molecules of the material are not packed closely together and have much space between them.

The opposite is true of a material with high density, such as a rock. You can feel the weight of even a small rock. This is because its molecules are packed closely together.

Chemical Properties

Chemical properties refer to the observable chemical composition of an object. They tell how the object can change into another material. Suppose you have a piece of paper. If you throw it into a fire, it will turn into ashes. The characteristics of paper being turned into ashes is among its chemical properties. This property is known as flammability.

Another chemical property of some matter is being prone to corrosion, or the damage on a material when exposed to different substances. An example of corrosion is rusting, or the reaction of iron with water and oxygen. You must have seen iron nails that are coated with rust, an orange-colored and powdery material. When an iron nail is exposed to water and air for a long time, rust forms on the nail.