2.4.1

Physical Properties

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Physical Properties of Elements

Physical properties of elements are properties of elements that we are able to test without them undergoing any changes.

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Physical properties

  • These properties are seen and tested without changing the element.
  • We will look at the different properties on the next slides...
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Colour

  • Colours of the elements vary.
    • Most metals are silver in colour.
    • Gases like hydrogen and helium are colourless.
    • Carbon is black.
    • Sulphur is yellow.
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Density

  • The density of an element will determine if it will sink or float.
    • Hydrogen has the lowest density of all elements.
    • Helium has the second lowest. This is why hydrogen and helium float in air.
    • Lithium is the least dense metal which is why it floats on water.
    • Mercury is the only metal that is liquid at room temperature, and it is also 13.5x more dense than water.
    • This means other metals could float on mercury but sink in water.
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Boiling point

  • The boiling point is the temperature that an element will change from a liquid to a gas.
  • It is also the temperature of condensation – when an element will change from a gas to a liquid.
    • The boiling point of water is 100°C. But water is a compound, not an element.
    • The element with the lowest boiling point is helium at -269°C.
    • The element with the highest boiling point is rhenium at 5,596°C, followed by tungsten at 5,555°C.
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Melting point

  • The melting point is the temperature at which an element will change from a solid to a liquid. It is also the temperature of freezing - when an element will change from a liquid to a solid.
    • The melting point of water is 0°C. But water is a compound, not an element.
    • The element with the lowest melting point is helium at -272°C.
    • The element with the highest melting point is carbon at 4,500°C.

Jump to other topics

1Biology

1.1Cells, Tissues & Organs

1.2Reproduction & Variation

1.3Ecological Relationships & Classification

1.4Digestion & Nutrition

1.5Plants & Photosynthesis

1.6Biological Systems & Processes

2Chemistry

2.1Particles

2.2Chemical Reactions

2.3Atoms, Elements, Compounds

2.4The Periodic Table

2.5Materials & the Earth

2.6Reactivity

2.7Energetics

2.8Properties of Materials

3Physics

3.1Energy

3.2Forces & Motion

3.3Waves

3.4Electricity & Magnetism

3.5Matter

3.6Space Physics

4Thinking Scientifically

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