Test Your Chemistry Skills with the Intensive vs Extensive Properties Quiz
Ready to distinguish intensive and extensive properties? Dive in and ace every question!
This Intensive vs Extensive Properties Quiz helps you tell which traits change with sample size and which stay the same. Practice with clear examples (mass, volume, density, temperature) so you can check gaps before a test and build confidence. Want a quick refresh first? Read the short guide or try the properties of matter quiz .
Study Outcomes
- Understand intensive and extensive properties -
Learn the fundamental definitions of what are extensive and intensive properties and how they relate to sample size dependence.
- Differentiate intensive vs extensive properties -
Recognize the key differences between an intensive property and extensive property by comparing characteristics like temperature versus mass.
- Classify common property examples -
Identify whether specific properties such as density, volume, or mass are intensive or extensive in various chemical contexts.
- Apply classification criteria -
Use established guidelines to determine whether mass is intensive or extensive and solidify your understanding through quiz questions.
- Evaluate real-world scenarios -
Test your ability to analyze and categorize properties in practical situations, mastering intensive and extensive distinctions.
Cheat Sheet
- Core Definitions: Intensive vs Extensive Properties -
Intensive and extensive properties are fundamental in chemistry classification - intensive properties (like temperature) remain constant regardless of sample size, whereas extensive properties (like volume) scale with the amount of substance. According to IUPAC, this distinction helps predict how a system's characteristics change when you combine or divide samples. Mastering these definitions sets the stage for all deeper explorations of material behavior.
- Extensive Properties and Additivity -
Extensive properties, such as mass (m) and volume (V), double when you combine two identical samples because they're additive: m_total = m1 + m2. University-level labs use this additivity to calibrate instruments by measuring known quantities. Remember that any property you can "add up" across samples is likely extensive.
- Intensive Properties and Sample-Size Independence -
Intensive properties, like density (ϝ = m/V) or boiling point, remain unchanged when you change the amount of substance. This makes them ideal for identifying substances: pure water's boiling point is always 100 °C at 1 atm, whether you have a cup or a barrel. Use this insight when distinguishing intensive property and extensive property in mixtures.
- Mass vs Density: Is Mass Intensive or Extensive? -
A common quiz question asks "is mass intensive or extensive?" - mass is extensive because it depends on sample size, whereas density is intensive since it's a ratio independent of how much you have. In practice, chemists often measure mass to find density, linking these two concepts in one calculation. This concrete example helps cement the intensive vs extensive distinction in your mind.
- Mnemonic Tip: "INTENSIVE INSIDE, EXTENSIVE EXTENTS" -
Remember that intensive properties describe what's "inside" (independent of amount) and extensive properties describe the "extent" of material (dependent on amount). For example, temperature stays "inside" no matter how much water you have, while volume spans the "extent" of the container. This playful phrase from educational resources like the Royal Society of Chemistry can boost recall on test day.