Why are intensive properties useful for identifying a substance?

• A. They change when the sample size changes, allowing for easy measurement.
• B. They are only useful when the substance is in large quantities.
• C. They are always the same for all substances, regardless of composition.
• D. They do not depend on the amount of substance present, making them unique to each material.

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the difference between intensive and extensive properties: Intensive properties do not depend on the amount of substance present, while extensive properties do depend on the sample size.
2. Recognize that because intensive properties remain constant regardless of how much of the substance you have, they provide consistent and reliable characteristics for identification.
3. Examples of intensive properties include density, boiling point, melting point, and color, which are unique to each substance and do not change with sample size.
4. Use intensive properties to distinguish substances because they reflect intrinsic qualities of the material, unlike extensive properties such as mass or volume that vary with quantity.
5. Conclude that intensive properties are useful for identifying substances because their values are unique and independent of the amount, making them reliable identifiers.