The Difference Between Intensive and Extensive Property: A Comprehensive Guide
Understanding Properties
In chemistry and physics, properties are used to describe the characteristic behavior or attributes of materials. Properties can be classified into two main types: intensive and extensive property.
What is an Intensive Property?
An intensive property refers to a property that does not depend on the size or quantity of a substance. In other words, it is a property that remains constant regardless of the amount of the substance present. Examples of intensive properties include temperature, density, pressure, specific heat, and refractive index.
What is an Extensive Property?
On the other hand, extensive properties are properties that depend on the size or quantity of a substance. Simply put, they are properties that change when the amount of substance changes. Examples of extensive properties include mass, volume, length, and energy.
Differences Between Intensive and Extensive Properties
The main difference between intensive and extensive properties is the way they behave with quantity. While intensive properties remain constant regardless of the amount of substance present, extensive properties change with the amount of substance.
For example, temperature is an intensive property because it remains the same regardless of how much of the substance is present. Water at 50 degrees Celsius will have the same temperature whether there is 10 liters or 100 liters of it. On the other hand, mass is an extensive property because it changes with the amount of substance. If you have 10 liters of water, it will weigh less than 100 liters of water.
Applications of Intensive and Extensive Properties
Intensive and extensive properties have important applications in many scientific fields. In chemistry, for instance, these properties are used to identify and classify materials. Intensive properties such as boiling point, melting point, and conductivity are used to identify different substances. Extensive properties such as mass and volume are used in determining the amount of substances present in samples.
In conclusion, understanding the difference between intensive and extensive properties is essential in the field of chemistry and physics. By understanding these properties, scientists are better able to identify and classify different substances, and determine the amount of substances present in samples.
Table difference between intensive and extensive property
| Property Type | Definition | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Intensive Property | Properties that do not depend on the size or amount of material present in the system. | Density, temperature, pressure, color, melting point, boiling point, specific heat capacity |
| Extensive Property | Properties that depend on the size or amount of material present in the system. | Mass, volume, energy, enthalpy, entropy |