Looking Closely: Observable Properties

Everything you can touch, see, or smell is made of matter. To understand matter, scientists look for physical properties. A property is a characteristic of an object that we can observe using our five senses. Think of properties as 'clues' that tell us what an object is. For example, if you describe an object as 'yellow, long, and sweet,' your friends might guess you are talking about a banana! By using our senses of sight, touch, smell, hearing, and taste (safely!), we can describe the world around us in great detail.

The easiest properties to see are color and shape. Color can be simple, like 'red,' or specific, like 'crimson' or 'navy.' Shape describes the form of an object. Scientists use geometric words to be precise. A ball is a sphere, while a tissue box might be a rectangular prism. When we look closely, we might also notice the size of an object. We can use a ruler to see if a toy car is $10$ $cm$ long or only $5$ $cm$ long.

When we use our sense of touch, we learn about texture. Texture is how the surface of an object feels. Is it rough like sandpaper, smooth like glass, or fuzzy like a peach? We also look at hardness. Some matter is flexible and can bend, like a rubber band. Other matter is rigid and stays the same shape, like a metal spoon. Using these words helps us tell the difference between objects that might look the same but feel very different.

Scientists often compare two objects to see how they are the same or different. We can look at two fruits, like an apple and a lime. They are both round (same shape), but one is red and the other is green (different color). One might be sweet, and the other is sour (different taste). By comparing properties, we can classify or group objects together. This helps us organize the world!