A chemical property is a property or behavior that can be observed when a substance undergoes a chemical change or reaction. The chemical properties can be seen during or after the reaction because the arrangement of atoms in the sample must be disturbed in order to study its properties. This is different from physical properties, which can be observed and measured without changing the chemical properties of the sample.

Key points: chemical properties

A chemical property is a property that can be observed when a substance participates in a chemical reaction.

Examples of chemical properties include flammability, toxicity, chemical stability, and heat of combustion.

Chemical properties are used to establish chemical classification and to label containers and storage areas.

Examples of chemical properties

Examples of chemical properties of substances include:

Toxicity

Reactivity

Type of chemical bond

Coordination number

Oxidation state

Flammability

Heat of combustion

Enthalpy of formation

Chemical stability under specific conditions

Acidity or alkalinity

Radioactivity

Remember, to observe and measure chemical properties, chemical changes must occur. For example, iron oxidizes and rusts. Rust is not a property that can be described based on the analysis of pure elements.

Use of chemical properties

Chemical properties are an important part of material science. These characteristics help scientists classify samples, identify unknown substances, and purify substances. Knowing these properties helps chemists predict the type of reaction that will occur. Since the chemical properties are not obvious, they are included in the label of the chemical container. Chemical hazard labels shall be attached to the containers and complete documents shall be kept for reference.