The big idea: A physical property is one you can measure or observe without the material changing in any way.
Weigh it, heat it, pass a current through it — put it back and it is the same material. That test is the definition.
Each property drawn as the observation that measures it. Step through to the kettle at the end.
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Density
Thermal expansion
Thermal conductivity
Melting point
Electrical conductivity
Electrical resistivity
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A kettle is the cleanest example in the whole topic, because five of the six physical properties are chosen deliberately in one object.
| Part | Property chosen | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Body | Low density | Light to lift when full of water |
| Element | High melting point | Survives being heated red-hot in use |
| Element | High thermal conductivity | Heat reaches the water quickly |
| Handle | Low thermal conductivity | Stays cool enough to hold |
| Flex sheath | High electrical resistivity | Insulates the user from the core |
Opposites on purpose: The same kettle wants high thermal conductivity in the element and low in the handle. A property is never good or bad in itself — only right or wrong for that part.
How this is tested — explaining the physical properties and applying them to a product. It comes up two ways:
Paper 1 — multiple choice
- Identify which physical property a described requirement needs.
- Spot the property that is physical rather than chemical.
Paper 2 — analysing a product
- Explain the physical properties chosen for parts of a product.
- Explain why one product needs opposite values of one property.
The trap: Writing "it conducts heat well" without saying which part and why that matters. The mark is the design consequence, not the property name.
Explain the physical properties a designer would specify for the base and the handle of a frying pan.
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