Which statement best describes a chemical property?

• A. It is the ability of a substance to be hammered into thin sheets.
• B. It describes how a substance reacts with other substances to form new compounds.
• C. It describes the mass and volume of a substance.
• D. It refers to the color, odor, and melting point of a substance.

Answer: (B)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the difference between physical and chemical properties. Physical properties can be observed or measured without changing the substance's identity, such as color, odor, melting point, mass, volume, and malleability (ability to be hammered into thin sheets).
2. Step 2: Recognize that chemical properties describe a substance's ability to undergo chemical changes, meaning how it reacts with other substances to form new compounds.
3. Step 3: Analyze each statement: "ability to be hammered into thin sheets" is a physical property (malleability), "mass and volume" are physical properties, and "color, odor, and melting point" are also physical properties.
4. Step 4: Identify that the statement "It describes how a substance reacts with other substances to form new compounds" refers to a chemical property because it involves a chemical change and formation of new substances.
5. Step 5: Conclude that the best description of a chemical property is the one involving reactivity and formation of new compounds, distinguishing it from physical properties.