Which procedure could a student use to examine an intensive property of a rectangular block of wood?

• A. Measure the density of the block by determining its mass and volume.
• B. Calculate the total volume of the block using its dimensions.
• C. Weigh the block to find its total mass.
• D. Add together the masses of several identical blocks.

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the difference between intensive and extensive properties: Intensive properties do not depend on the amount of substance (e.g., density, temperature), while extensive properties depend on the amount (e.g., mass, volume).
2. Identify that to examine an intensive property of the wood block, you need to measure a property that remains the same regardless of the block's size or amount.
3. Recognize that density is an intensive property because it is the ratio of mass to volume and does not change with the size of the sample.
4. Measure the mass of the block using a balance to obtain its total mass.
5. Calculate the volume of the block by measuring its dimensions (length, width, height) and using the formula \(\text{Volume} = \text{length} \times \text{width} \times \text{height}\), then compute density using \(\text{Density} = \frac{\text{Mass}}{\text{Volume}}\).