Property
Contents
Key Stage 1
Meaning
A property is what a material or object is like.
About Properties
Something can be rough or smooth, hard or soft, blue or red, transparent or opaque, shiny or dull, firm or bendy, stretchy or stiff and absorbent or waterproof.
Examples
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| A property of glass is that it looks 'transparent'. | A property of brick is that it has a rough texture. | A property of water is that it can be poured. |
Note to Teachers
- Be careful not mix the properties of a material for the properties of an object. Ask yourself; Can I change it without changing what it is made from? If the answer is yes, then it is not a property of the material. For example; a brick is rough, hard, redish brown, opaque, dull, firm, stiff and a little bit absorbent. If I cut a brick in half it is still all of those things.
- Hot or cold is not a property of a material. If I put a cold brick in an oven it still has all the same properties, but now it is hot. So hot and cold are not properties of a material.
- Heavy or light are not properties of a material. If I cut a some brick in half then it is not as heavy anymore, so heavy and light are not properties of a material.
- Solid, liquid or gas are not properties of a material because it depends on temperature. However, you can state them as properties if you say 'at room temperature' at the end. Brick is solid at room temperature. Water is liquid at room temperature.
Key Stage 2
Meaning
A property is description of a material or an object and how they behave.
- Noun: Property
About Properties
- Properties are adjectives that we use to describe materials.
- Properties you should know are:
Examples
- Brick is hard. Fabric is soft.
- Salt is soluble. Sand is insoluble.
- Brick is opaque. Glass is 'transparent'.
- Metal is a good electrical conductor. Plastic is a good electrical insulator.
- Metal is a good thermal conductor. Glass is a good thermal insulator.
- Iron is magnetic. Copper is not magnetic.
Used in a Sentence
- A property of glass is that it is 'transparent'.
- A property of metals is that they can conduct electricity well.
- A property of plastic is that it can be bent easily.
Key Stage 3
Meaning
A property is description of a material or an object and how it behaves.
Examples
- Solids cannot be compressed.
- Gold is more dense than Iron.
- Electrons are negatively charged.
- Metals are shiny, malleable, ductile, sonorous and they can conduct electricity and conduct thermal energy easily.