General Properties of Matter

The general properties of matter are those common to any subject, that is, regardless of its physical state (solid, liquid or gas), its shape, or any other aspect.

Matter is all substance, in any physical state, has mass and occupies a place in space.

You, for example, are considered a story. Just like a sheet of paper, oxygen, a lamp, among other things present in the Universe.

At 8 general properties common to all subjects are:

pasta;
extension;
divisibility;
impenetrability;
compressibility;
elasticity;
discontinuity;
inertia.

1. Pasta

Mass is the amount of matter a body has, which can be measured numerically..

Per example, when you have a matter, like the apple in the image below, and measure it by putting it on a scale, the value that appears on the device is mass transformed into number

But, don't confuse mass with weight. Mass can be measured on the scale, weight is only found when the mass of matter is multiplied with the acceleration of local gravity.

The apple in the example above, for example, has a mass of 253 g, but its weight varies according to the local gravity.

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On earth, which has a gravity of 9.8 N, the weight of this apple is2.4794 N (Newton). While on the moon, which has a gravity of 1.67 N, the same apple hasthe weight of 4,2251 N (Newton).

This means that the greater the gravity acceleration of a location, the greater the weight of matter

2. Extension

The extension property explains that any matter occupies a place in space. The measure of space that this matter occupies is called volume.

For example, the water that is in a bottle occupies a place in space, that is, it has an extension.

To know the measure of space that this water occupies, for example, it is necessary to find the volume in a unit of measure.

It is important for you to know that this occupied space is independent of the physical state of matter, whether it is liquid, gas, solid and even others, such as plasma (physical state of a star, for example).

See the meaning of matter.

3. Impenetrability

Impenetrability states that two or more subjects no occupy the same place in space at the same time. In other words, one matter cannot penetrate the space of the other.

Example: when you fill a bottle with water, it is already full of atmospheric air. When you pour out the water, you expel the air and replace it with water. Water does not penetrate the air.

4. Divisibility

Divisibility explains that it is possible to divide a matter into smaller and smaller parts, until arriving at the atom.

Example: When you tear a sheet of paper in half, the characteristics of the two parts are the same in terms of chemical composition.

This sheet can also be divided into very small parts, but with the same properties.

5. Compressibility

A story can be compressed, that is, your size may decrease through some external force.

A good example is the syringe. When you hold the side where the air exits, in a syringe without a needle, and push the plunger, you can compress (reduce) the space occupied by a gas present inside.

6. Elasticity

Elasticity explains that the matter manages to return to its initial shape and volume, when it undergoes a deformation.

A great example is the gymnastics bar, which manages to be stretched to a certain point by the gymnast, and returns to its natural state.

It suffers a deformation from the impact of the movement, but returns to its natural state.

This is not to say that all matter can be stretched to the maximum and will return to the same shape. For each type of matter, there is an elasticity limit to be considered.

7. Discontinuity

This property explains that all matter has empty spaces that make it irregular in shape. These empty spaces are formed between the molecules.

For example, wood, even though it appears to be a compact and spaceless matter, has discontinuity in its structure, seen through a microscope.

8. Inertia

inertia is the tendency of a story to keep its speed constant. To change the speed of a body requires a force.

For example, in a soccer game, the ball only moves when it is kicked by the players. An object on a table also only changes its speed when suffering someone's force.

Summary of general properties of matter

To record and practically understand the general properties of a story, see the summary below:

pasta: is the amount of matter mass existing in a body;
extension: is the space that matter occupies.
divisibility: when a matter is divided, both parts have the same chemical characteristics;
impenetrability: one matter can never penetrate another, occupying the same space at the same time;
compressibility: a story can have a compressed shape under pressure;
elasticity: matter can stretch (to some extent) and return to its normal state;
discontinuity: all matter has space, that is, a discontinuity in its form, even if microscopic;
inertia: the tendency of a matter to maintain its constant velocity.

Specific properties of matter

The specific properties of matter are those unique and specific characteristics of a particular subject.

That is, while the general properties are the characteristics found in all subjects, in the specific ones we find only some.

The specific properties of matter are divided into 3 aspects:

Physical properties: is the property that involves any kind of change in the physical state of matter;
Chemical properties: it is the property that concerns the changes suffered in the structure in the chemical structures of the matter;
organoleptic properties: are those properties felt by at least one of our 5 senses (touch, sight, smell, taste and hearing).

Physical properties of matter

ductibility: is the ability of a material to be wired and not break.

Example: copper and gold are ductile metals.

Malleability: is the ability of a material to transform itself into blades.

Example: iron and aluminum are malleable metals.

thermal conductivity: it is the property of the material to conduct heat or not.

Example: the iron pan conducts heat.

Electric conductivity: it is the property that some materials have to conduct an electric current.

Example: copper, aluminum and gold wires.

Magnetism: it is the property in which a material presents attraction between magnetic fields, which form magnets.

Example: magnetite is a magnetic mineral.

Tenacity: ability to withstand a mechanical shock, that is, impact.

Example: steel has high tenacity.

Toughness: ability of a substance to resist scratches. This risk occurs when removing particles from the material;

Example: Diamond is one of the hardest materials in nature.

specific heat: amount of heat a gram of a substance needs to raise 1° (one degree) in its temperature.

Example: The water has a specific heat of 1 cal/g.ºC.

Density: It is the relationship between the mass and volume of a substance.

Example: 1kg of cotton and 1kg of lead have the same mass, but lead has a lower density, so it takes up less space than 1kg of cotton.

solubility coefficient: determines the maximum amount of a substance that a solvent can dissolve.

Example: At a temperature of 20 ºC the maximum amount of salt that can be dissolved in water is 36 g of NaCl/100 g of water.

Fusion point: determines the temperature at which a substance changes from solid to liquid.

Example: the melting of ice, for example, is the passage of water in a solid state, to a liquid state under a pressure of 1 atm, at a temperature of 0 ºC.

Boiling point: determines the temperature at which a substance changes from a liquid to a gaseous state.

Example: at a pressure of 1 atm, the boiling point of water is 100°C. That is, when the temperature goes from liquid to gas.

Liquefaction Point: is the property that determines the temperature at which a substance changes from gas to liquid.

Example: when water vapor turns into water droplets around a glass with very cold contents.

solidification point: determines the temperature at which a substance changes from liquid to solid.

Example: when water turns to ice.

Sublimation point: determines the temperature at which a substance changes from a gaseous state, directly to a solid state, or vice versa.

Example: mothballs, for example, can be transformed into steam at room temperature.

Chemical properties of matter

Combustibility: capacity of matter to burn, that is, to undergo a combustion reaction.

Example: alcohol and gasoline are substances more prone to combustion than others.

Reactivity: ability of substances to chemically react to other substances.

Example: the metals that react easily are the metals that are located to the left of the periodic table.

Oxidizing and reducing agents: is the property that a matter has to transfer electrons in a chemical reaction. When a substance loses electrons, it is oxidized. When it gains electrons, it is reduced.

Example: iron, which undergoes oxidation and forms rust.

Explosibility: is when matter has the ability to explode and automatically change its chemical structure.

Example: TNT is a substance used in explosives. Other substances depend on acids, water and other substances to undergo this explosion. Effervescent remedies are examples of this.

Organoleptic properties of matter

Color: Activated by our vision, color is the pigmentation of a matter.
Shine: is the ability of a substance to reflect light. Metals are great examples of shiny materials. When there is no shine, we say the substance is matte.
Transparency: is the ability of a material to allow the passage of light, such as glass, for example. When it does not allow light to pass through, we call it opaque, like the mirror.
Odor: it's the ability that impresses our sense of smell. Some materials are odorous, that is, they have an odor, such as cinnamon, and others do not have an odor, such as water.
Flavor: it is the capacity of a matter to have flavor or to be insipid (has no taste). Example: vinegar, with a sour taste and water, which has no flavor.
aggregation state: is the physical state of matter, and can be in solid, liquid or gaseous state.
Texture: is the property of matter characterized by its porosity, smoothness, roughness, thickness, among other characteristics.