What is the Difference Between Chemical and Physical Properties?

The main difference between chemical and physical properties lies in the way they are observed or measured. Here are the key differences between the two:

• Chemical Properties: These describe the ability of a substance to undergo a specific chemical change. They include flammability, susceptibility to corrosion, and reactivity between chemicals. Chemical properties can only be observed during a chemical reaction, which involves a change in the molecular structure of the substance.
• Physical Properties: These are characteristics of a substance that can be observed or measured without changing its identity or chemical composition. Examples of physical properties include color, density, hardness, melting and boiling points, mass, volume, and texture.

In summary, chemical properties are related to the potential of a substance to undergo a chemical change, while physical properties can be observed or measured without causing a chemical change in the substance.

Comparative Table: Chemical vs Physical Properties

Here is a table comparing the differences between chemical and physical properties:

Chemical properties are related to the chemical bonds of a substance and can be used to predict how substances react. They can only be observed as the substance is in the process of being changed into a new substance. Examples of chemical properties include compressibility, radioactivity, toxicity, flammability, heat of combustion, and reactivity between chemicals.

Physical properties, on the other hand, are unrelated to the chemical bonds of a substance and are used for identifying or describing the substance. They can be measured without changing the identity or chemical composition of the substance. Examples of physical properties include molecular weight, boiling point, melting point, freezing point, volume, mass, length, density, texture, color, odor, shape, and solubility.