Properties of Matter

Mass, Physical State (solid, liquid, gas), Conductivity, Magnetism, Relative Density, and Solubility.

It is the amount of matter or substance that makes up an object. It is measured in units called kilograms, which can be abbreviated kg.

It is the ability of a material to be attracted by a magnet. Only certain materials are attracted to magnets, like iron, nickel, and cobalt.

Conductivity is how easily something can move through a substance.

Electrical conductivity refers to how easily an electrical current flows through a substance.

Thermal conductivity refers to how easily heat moves through a substance. Low thermal conductivity is called an insulator.

It is the ability to dissolve into (become a part of) another substance.

Something that dissolves, like the sugar in our example, is called a solute. The substance that it dissolves into, like the tea, is called the solvent. When a solute dissolves into the solvent, the end product is called a solution.

An object’s density depends on how closely the tiny particles are packed together. Objects with a high density have particles that are more tightly packed than objects with a low density.

How something floats or sinks is related to its density.