Chemical property — Science definition
A characteristic that describes how a substance reacts or changes into a different substance, like flammability or reactivity with acid.
Where it is taught
- Physical vs. Chemical Properties — Properties of Matter, Physical Science: Matter, Forces & Energy, Grade 8
In use
A chemical property, by contrast, describes how a substance behaves when it reacts and turns into something different.
Physical vs. Chemical Properties
Questions using chemical property
Problem 1
Which of these is a chemical property, not a physical property?
- color
- flammability
- hardness
- density
Answer and explanation
flammability
Flammability describes how a substance reacts (burns), which is a chemical property.
Problem 2
Which is a chemical property?
- Melting point
- Density
- Flammability
- Colour
Answer and explanation
Flammability
Flammability describes how a substance reacts to form something new; the others can be measured without changing what it is.