Final answer:
To identify a substance or predict its behavior, we use its physical and chemical properties. Physical properties are measurable without changing the substance's composition, while chemical properties indicate how a substance might react chemically.
Step-by-step explanation:
To identify a substance or to predict how it will behave, we can use b. physical and chemical properties. These properties are crucial for determining the characteristics and potential chemical reactions of a substance.
Physical Properties
Physical properties include observable and measurable attributes that do not change the chemical composition of the substance. Examples of physical properties are mass, color, melting point, boiling point, density, and viscosity. These properties are generally involved in physical changes like the phase transition from gas to liquid (condensation), or the freezing of alcohol in a thermometer, which occurs at about -40 degrees Fahrenheit.
Chemical Properties
Chemical properties describe a substance's potential to undergo changes that transform it into a different substance. For example, the flammability of a substance, how it reacts with water or oxygen, and its corrosion resistance are all chemical properties. The interaction of hydrogen and oxygen to form water is an example of a chemical change based on chemical properties.
Examples:
The rotting of leaves in the backyard is an example of a chemical property because it involves a chemical change.
Gold being stretched into thin wires demonstrates a physical property, specifically malleability.
When food is converted into a usable form by the digestive system, it's an example of a chemical change because new substances are produced.