Chapter 2 Properties of Matter Answer Key | airSlate SignNow - Free Printable

You’re looking at Chapter 2: Properties of Matter from a *Physical Science Guided Reading and Study Workbook*. The page focuses on physical properties — characteristics you can observe or measure without changing the substance’s chemical identity.

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🔍 Let’s break down what’s being asked:

The section is titled “Reading Strategy (page 45–47)” and asks you to complete sentences using vocabulary from the chapter. Then, there are Examples of Physical Properties (pages 45–47) with fill-in-the-blank questions.

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## ✔ SOLUTIONS & EXPLANATIONS

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📖 READING STRATEGY – Fill in the blanks:

> 1. A physical property is any characteristic of a material that can be observed or measured without changing the ___chemical composition___ of the substance.

🔹 Why?
Physical properties (like color, density, melting point) don’t alter what the substance *is* chemically. For example, melting ice into water doesn’t change H₂O into something else — it’s still water.

> 2. Explain why a wooden spoon is better choice than a metal spoon for stirring a boiling pot of soup.
→ *Wood is a poor conductor of heat, so it won’t burn your hand when stirring hot soup. Metal conducts heat well, so it would become too hot to hold.*

🔹 Why?
This relates to thermal conductivity, a physical property. Metals conduct heat quickly; wood does not. So wood protects your hand — practical application of physical properties!

> 3. Is the following sentence true or false? “A liquid with a high viscosity flows more slowly than a liquid with a low viscosity at the same temperature.”
→ True

🔹 Why?
Viscosity = resistance to flow. Honey (high viscosity) flows slowly; water (low viscosity) flows quickly. Temperature matters — if you heat honey, it flows faster (viscosity decreases), but at the *same* temperature, higher viscosity = slower flow.

> 4. Is the following sentence true or false? “Discussing which of two materials can scratch the other is a way to compare the hardness of the materials.”
→ True

🔹 Why?
Hardness is a physical property defined by how resistant a material is to scratching. The Mohs Hardness Scale uses this exact method — e.g., diamond can scratch quartz, so diamond is harder.

> 5. Match each term to its definition.

| Term | Definition |
|------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| a. viscosity | c. The resistance of a liquid to flowing |
| b. conductivity | d. The ability to allow heat to flow |
| c. malleability | a. The ability of a solid to be hammered without shattering |
| d. ductility | b. The ability of a solid to be drawn into a wire |
| e. melting point | e. The temperature at which a solid becomes a liquid |
| f. boiling point | f. The temperature at which a substance changes from a liquid to a gas |
| g. density | g. The ratio of the mass of a substance to its volume |

✔ All matched correctly.

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## 💡 KEY TAKEAWAYS:

- Physical properties can be observed/measured without altering the substance’s chemical makeup.
- Examples include: color, odor, density, melting/boiling points, viscosity, conductivity, malleability, ductility.
- These properties help identify and classify substances.
- Real-world applications: choosing cooking utensils (wood vs. metal), comparing materials for construction (hardness, ductility), etc.

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## 🎯 Final Answer Summary:

1. chemical composition
2. *Wood doesn’t conduct heat well → safe to hold; metal conducts heat → burns hand.*
3. True
4. True
5. Matching:
- a → c
- b → d
- c → a
- d → b
- e → e
- f → f
- g → g

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Let me know if you’d like flashcards, diagrams, or practice problems on physical vs. chemical properties! 🧪📚