Chemical Properties of Matter

Chemical properties are any of the properties of matter that can be observed and measured only by performing a chemical change or chemical reaction. Chemical properties cannot be determined by touching or viewing a sample; the structure of the sample must be altered for the chemical properties to become apparent.

Examples

Here are some examples of chemical properties:

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Examples of Chemical Properties

By Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D.

• Reactivity with other chemicals
• Toxicity
• Coordination number
• Flammability
• Enthalpy of formation
• Heat of combustion
• Oxidation states
• Chemical stability
• Types of chemical bonds that will form
• More examples

Uses

Scientists use chemical properties to predict whether a sample will participate in a chemical reaction. Chemical properties can be used to classify compounds and find applications for them.

Understanding a material's chemical properties helps in its purification, separation from other chemicals, or identification in an unknown sample.

Chemical Properties Vs. Physical Properties

While a chemical property is revealed only by the behavior of a substance in a chemical reaction, a physical property can be observed and measured without changing the composition of a sample. Physical properties include color, pressure, length, and concentration.