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Flip to reveal answersWhat is a chemical property?
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All 4 Flashcards — Chemical properties
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Question
What is a chemical property?
Answer
An aspect of a material that leads to it chemically reacting with another substance — so the material is altered by the encounter.
Question
Name the four chemical properties in the guide.
Answer
Corrosion resistance, reactivity (food safe), hygroscopy and flammability.
Question
Why does stainless steel resist corrosion?
Answer
Its chromium reacts with oxygen to form a thin, self-repairing oxide film. Scratch it and the film reforms, so corrosion cannot get started.
Question
What does hygroscopic mean, and why does it matter?
Answer
The material absorbs moisture from the air. Timber swells and warps, nylon softens and cardboard loses strength — which is why some polymers must be dried before moulding.
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Topic 3.1 hub
Material classification
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