chemical property

[kem-i-kuhl prop-er-tee]

noun

1. Chemistry.,  a property or characteristic of a substance that is observed during a reaction in which the chemical composition or identity of the substance is changed.

   Combustibility is an important chemical property to consider when choosing building materials.

Word History and Origins

Origin of chemical property¹

First recorded in 1720–30

When To Use

What is a chemical property?

A chemical property is a characteristic of a particular substance that can be observed in a chemical reaction. Some major chemical properties include flammability, toxicity, heat of combustion, pH value, rate of radioactive decay, and chemical stability.A chemical change or reaction is a process in which one substance changes to another substance. In this process, the characteristics of the substances change, and this is when chemical properties are observed.A chemical property is not to be confused with a physical property, which includes such characteristics as shape (volume and size), color, texture, flexibility, density, and mass.