Chemical property

Chemical property refers to the behavior of a chemical substance when it undergoes a chemical change or reaction. Chemical properties are only observed during a chemical reaction and thus changing the substance's chemical composition.

Overview

Chemical properties can be contrasted with physical properties, which can be discerned without changing the substance's structure. However, all properties of matter are either physical or chemical properties and physical properties, which include such characteristics as shape, color, and density, can be observed or measured without changing the identity of the substance.

Types of Chemical Properties

Chemical properties can be classified into several types:

• Reactivity: This is a substance's ability to undergo a specific chemical change.
• Flammability: This is a measure of how easily a substance can ignite or burn.
• Oxidation state: This is a measure of the degree of oxidation of an atom in a substance.
• Chemical stability: This is the likelihood that a compound will react with other substances to form a new substance.
• Toxicity: This is a measure of the degree to which a substance can damage an organism.

Determining Chemical Properties

Chemical properties are determined by the reaction of a substance with other substances, or by its behavior in response to other stimuli, such as heat or light. The chemical properties of a substance can be used to predict how it will behave in a particular circumstance.

See Also

• Chemical change
• Chemical reaction
• Chemical substance
• Physical property