There are many substances around us.
They all have their own properties which is how we recognise them.
Physical properties : colour, strength, malleable or brittle, conductor or insulator, high or low density, high or low melting point
Chemical properties: Does it burn, solubility in water, effect of acids
| Substance | Property |
| Aluminium | A pale, silvery metal. Very light. Often used to make ‘alloy’ wheels and aircrafts |
| Lead | A grey metal which is soft and bendy. Often used on roofs although it is rather heavy. |
| Copper | A pink metal used to make electric wires and water pipes |
| Graphite | A grey substance that is used to make pencil ‘leads’. |
| Mercury | A grey liquid metal |
| Sulphur | A yellow crumbly solid that burns to make a smelly gas |
| Brass | An alloy of copper and zinc |
| Tin | The substance coated over ‘tin’ cans to stop the iron going rusty |
| Zinc | The substance coated over iron to make galvanized iron. |
| Perspex | A clear plastic often used as a replacement for glass |
| Gold | A precious metal. It is yellow and very heavy. Used to make jewellery. |
Substances can be divided into categories like:
Metals, ceramics (china), plastics, glass .. each with their own set of properties
example questions:
1. What properties of aluminium make it suitable for building planes?
answer: because it is light, strong and doesn’t corrode
2. Give two advantages of using iron to build a bicycle frame and two disadvantages
Answer:
Advantages: strong and cheap
Disadvantages: Goes rusty and is heavy
3. Which of these would be the best substance to build a washing up bowl: plastic, glass, iron
answer: plastic
Give one advantage and one disadvantage of the substance you have chosen:
advantage: cheap, easy to mould into shape
disadvantage: melts easily. Not very strong