Extensive vs Intensive

[Victoria Luu - 1C]

What is the difference between an extensive and intensive property?

[Chloe Thorpe 1J]

Extensive properties depend on the amount of substance while intensive properties do not. For example, molar heat capacity is an extensive property since it is J*mol^-1*K^-1 while heat capacity is intensive since it is J*K^-1

[Chloe Thorpe 1J]

Sorry, I meant that heat capacity is extensive and molar/specific heat capacity is intensive!

[Sydney Tay 2B]

Can someone clarify why heat capacity is extensive but specific heat and molar heat capacity is intensive.

[Ashley Kim]

Heat capacity is extensive because it is the amount of heat required to raise a substance by one degree Celsius/Kelvin. It depends on mass because if a substance is more massive, then it is capable of maintaining more heat.

Specific heat capacity and molar heat capacity are per unit of mass, so they are intensive (do not change based on mass).

[Christopher Anisi 2K]

Extensive properties are properties of matter that are subject to change like volume, weight, and heat capacity while in contrast intensive properties always remain the constant like density, specific heat, and boiling point.

[Krista Mercado 1B]

Extensive properties depend on the amount of matter being measured. On the other hand, intensive properties do not depend on the amount of substance present.

[Brian Chang 2H]

Extensive properties depend on how much of a substance is present. (Ie. the mass of the sample is dependent on how much there is.)

Intensive properties are independent of the amount of substance present. (Ie. Water boils at 100 degrees Celcius regardless of the amount, be it 1L or 10L.)