Intensive and Extensive Properties

The intensive properties of a substance or a system are those physical properties that are independent of the mass of the substance or system in which it exists. Intensive properties are also referred to as bulk properties in some circles. The most intensive properties of a substance or system are used to define the identity of the substance or system in question.

Extensive properties include things like temperature (T), pressure (P), and density (r).

Exemplifications of Intensive Properties :-

An intensive property of matter is a property of matter that does not depend on the size or quantity of the matter in any way and is independent of both size and quantity. Temperatures, density, colour, melting and boiling points, and other properties of matter are all considered intensive properties because they do not change with changes in the size or quantity of the matter. Because it is an intensive property, the density of one litre of water and one hundred litres of water will remain the same.

What is the meaning of the term “extensive property”?

A system’s extensive property is dependent on the size of the system or the amount of matter contained within the system.

When the value of a system’s property equals the sum of the values of the properties of the system’s parts, the property is referred to as an extensive property. Extensive properties include volume, energy, and mass, to name a few examples.

Extensive Property Illustrations

There are certain properties of matter, such as length, mass, volume, weight, and so on, that are dependent on the quantity or size of the matter; these properties are referred to as extensive properties of matter, and their value changes when the quantity or size of the matter changes. Consider the following scenario: we have two boxes made of the same material, one of which has a capacity of four litres and the other of which has a capacity of ten litres. There will be more matter in the ten-litre container than in the four-litre container when compared to the four-litre container.

How do you tell the difference between intensive and extensive characteristics?

It is simple to distinguish between properties that are intensive and those that are extensive. It is necessary to increase the system’s mass by twofold. The physical properties that change as a result of an increase in mass are a diverse group of characteristics. Intensive properties, on the other hand, are those physical properties that do not change as a result of an increase in mass.

Other Examples of Property Descriptions

The study of thermodynamics is concerned with the flow of heat energy. Temperature energy is transferred from one place to another and transformed into different forms according to the laws of thermodynamics. It is dependent on the matter as well as the factors that influence the state of a substance. The thermodynamic properties of a system are influenced by a number of variables. According to the definitions below, the parameters or variables are classified as state functions or path functions:

State functions or state variables are parameters that are dependent only on the current state of the system and not on the path that they have taken to get to this state. State functions or state variables are used to describe the behaviour of a system.

For example, the temperature of the system.

Depending on the path taken by the system to arrive at the current state, a path function is used to determine the value of a parameter.

For example, frictional force is responsible for the performance of work.

Unlike a path function, which is dependent on the path taken to get from the initial condition to the final condition, a state function is only dependent on the initial condition and the final condition. The thermodynamic properties of matter can also be divided into two categories: intensive properties and extensive properties. Depending on the size or quantity of the matter under consideration, this classification is used to determine the dependence of a property.

Conclusion

An intensive property of matter is a property of matter that does not depend on the size or quantity of the matter in any way and is independent of both size and quantity. A system’s extensive property is dependent on the size of the system or the amount of matter contained within the system. When the value of a system’s property equals the sum of the values of the properties of the system’s parts, the property is referred to as an extensive property. State functions or state variables are used to describe the behaviour of a system.