A chemical test is used to measure which of the following properties of a substance?

• A. Its melting point
• B. Its mass
• C. Its color in the solid state
• D. Its ability to undergo a specific chemical change

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand that a chemical test is designed to identify a substance based on its chemical properties, specifically how it reacts or changes chemically under certain conditions.
2. Recognize that physical properties such as melting point, mass, and color in the solid state are not determined by chemical tests but rather by physical measurements or observations.
3. Recall that a chemical property describes a substance's ability to undergo a specific chemical change, such as reacting with another substance or decomposing.
4. Therefore, a chemical test measures the substance's ability to undergo a specific chemical change, which helps in identifying or characterizing the substance.
5. Summarize that the key distinction is between physical properties (melting point, mass, color) and chemical properties (reactivity, chemical change), and chemical tests focus on the latter.