Physical vs Chemical Properties Quiz
Questions: 16 · 10 minutes
1. Which characteristic of ethanol is a chemical property?
Its boiling point
Its flammability
Its density
Its colorlessness
2. Which statement best defines a physical property?
A characteristic describing how readily a substance forms one or more new substances
A characteristic that can be observed or measured without changing a substance’s chemical identity
A characteristic that can be measured only after a substance is burned
A characteristic determined only by the elements in a substance’s formula
3. A scientist records that a liquid has a sharp odor and that it burns in oxygen to form new products. Which classification is correct?
Both odor and combustibility are chemical properties
Odor is chemical, while combustibility is physical
Odor is physical, while combustibility is chemical
Both odor and combustibility are physical properties
4. Which physical property describes the temperature at which a pure solid becomes a liquid?
Heat of combustion
Reactivity with oxygen
Acidity
Melting point
5. A student stirs salt into water, then evaporates the water and recovers the salt. Which property of salt was directly tested when it dissolved?
Flammability
Solubility, a physical property
Corrosiveness
Chemical reactivity with water
6. A material melts at 80°C but begins forming different substances when heated to 240°C. How should these observations be classified?
The melting point is physical, while the tendency to decompose is chemical
Both temperatures describe chemical properties because heat is involved
The melting point is chemical, while decomposition is physical
Both observations describe physical properties because temperature is measured
7. Two equal-volume samples have different masses. Which property directly accounts for that difference?
Solubility
Density
Flammability
Reactivity with acids
8. Why is color ordinarily classified as a physical property?
Observing color does not ordinarily require changing the substance into a new substance
Color can be measured only when a chemical reaction occurs
Every substance keeps the same color under all conditions
Color always reveals which elements a substance contains
9. An iron nail develops rust after prolonged exposure to moist air. Which property of iron does this observation demonstrate?
Its density
Its hardness
Its magnetism
Its tendency to react with oxygen and water
10. A copper wire can be drawn into a thinner wire while remaining copper. What property does this demonstrate?
Ductility, a physical property that does not change copper’s identity
Flammability, because energy is used to reshape it
Chemical reactivity, because the wire’s shape changes
Corrosiveness, a chemical property involving metal surfaces
11. A sugar cube can be crushed into powder without changing the sugar’s chemical identity. Which conclusion best fits this observation?
Reactivity with oxygen is being tested because the powder contacts air
Brittleness is a chemical property because the cube becomes smaller
Combustibility is being tested because force is applied
Brittleness is a physical property because breaking the cube does not form a new substance
12. A recycling facility uses a magnet to separate iron objects from aluminum objects. Which physical property enables the separation?
Reactivity with water
Resistance to corrosion
Flammability
Magnetism
13. Silver gradually darkens when it reacts with sulfur-containing substances in the air. What property of silver does this reveal?
Its ability to reflect light
Its electrical conductivity
Its chemical reactivity with sulfur-containing substances
Its malleability
14. An engineer needs a metal for the conducting core of an electrical cable. Which property is most directly relevant and physical?
Tendency to oxidize
Flammability
Electrical conductivity
Reactivity with acid
15. An unknown solid produces bubbles when acid is added, indicating that a gas-forming reaction has occurred. What property is being tested?
Its chemical reactivity with acid
The solid’s physical state
Its mass
Its volume
16. Which pair consists entirely of chemical properties?
Density and melting point
Electrical conductivity and hardness
Flammability and tendency to rust
Solubility and color