Question

Identify from the following an example of intensive property.

• A. Surface tension
• B. Volume
• C. Internal energy
• D. Number of moles

Hint:

Remember, intensive properties are independent of the amount of material present, while extensive properties are dependent on the system size.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Step 1: Understand the difference between intensive and extensive properties.
- Intensive properties are those that do not depend on the amount of substance in the system. They are characteristic of the material itself and include properties such as temperature, pressure, density, and surface tension.
- Extensive properties depend on the amount of substance present. Examples include mass, volume, total energy, and number of moles.

Step 2: Analyze each option.
- Option (1): Surface tension is an intensive property because it does not depend on the amount of liquid present. It is defined as the force acting per unit length at the surface of the liquid.
- Option (2): Volume is an extensive property because it depends on the amount of material (i.e., more substance will result in a higher volume).
- Option (3): Internal energy is an extensive property because the total internal energy of a system depends on the number of particles or amount of substance.
- Option (4): Number of moles is an extensive property because the total number of moles is directly proportional to the amount of substance.

Step 3: Conclusion.
Among the given options, surface tension is the only intensive property. Therefore, the correct answer is option (1).