Can a property be both intensive and extensive?

No, a property cannot be both. Intensive properties do not depend on the system's size, while extensive properties do.

What is the significance of density as an intensive property?

Density is crucial because it provides a consistent measure of mass per unit volume, independent of the sample size, aiding in material identification and quality control.

How are intensive properties used in daily life?

Intensive properties like temperature and pressure are used in weather forecasting, cooking, and various household and industrial processes.

Intensive and Extensive Properties: Examples and Difference

Intensive and Extensive Properties Examples: Intensive properties are independent of the amount of substance, and extensive properties are dependent on the amount of substance or size of the system. This article is designed to elaborate on these two properties and their examples.

ByAtul Rawal

Jul 17, 2024, 11:31 IST

Intensive and Extensive Properties of Matter with Examples

Intensive and Extensive Properties: The chemical and physical properties of materials and systems can be classified into intensive and extensive based on the changes in the property with the size of the system. There is a lot more to know about these properties that help in the classification of materials. Let’s discuss the Intensive and extensive properties, their examples and differences.

What is an Intensive Property?

An intensive property is a physical quantity whose value does not depend on the mass or size of the matter in a system. These properties are inherent to the substance and remain unchanged regardless of the system's scale. Intensive properties are crucial in identifying and characterising materials.

Examples of Intensive Property

Temperature: Remains the same regardless of the quantity of the substance.
Density: Mass per unit volume remains constant, irrespective of the sample size.
Pressure: Does not vary with the amount of gas in a closed system.
Colour: The colour of a substance is independent of its quantity.
Boiling Point: The temperature at which a substance boils remains constant regardless of the amount.
Refractive Index
Electrical Conductivity
Viscosity

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What is an Extensive Property?

An extensive property is a physical quantity whose value depends on the mass or size of the matter in a system. These properties are additive for subsystems, meaning they increase or decrease in direct proportion to the system's size or mass.

Examples of Extensive Property

Mass: Directly proportional to the quantity of matter in a substance.
Volume: Increases with the amount of substance.
Energy: Total energy (including kinetic and potential energy) depends on the size of the system.
Entropy: Depends on the number of particles in the system.
Heat Capacity: The amount of heat required to raise the temperature depends on the substance's mass.
Internal Energy
Enthalpy
Gibbs Free Energy

Differences Between Intensive and Extensive Properties

Property Type	Definition	Examples
Intensive	Independent of the amount of substance	Temperature, Density, Pressure, Colour, Boiling Point
Extensive	Dependent on the amount of substance or size of the system	Mass, Volume, Energy, Entropy, Heat Capacity

Uses and Importance Intensive and Extensive Properties

These properties are essential in:

Material Identification: Intensive properties help identify substances regardless of their amount or form.
Chemical Reactions: Extensive properties are used to calculate the energy changes in reactions.
Thermodynamics: These properties are essential in thermodynamic calculations and understanding system behaviours.
Engineering: Engineers use these properties in designing and analysing systems, ensuring efficiency and safety.