Is odor a physical property? I would think it would be, but then again odor is caused by chemicals.
Odor is a chemical property because it is related to chemical composition. When a material is mixed with other materials and/or heated, and a new odor is detected, that means a new substance has been formed. Any change that produces one or more new substances is a chemical change.
Even if no changes take place, odor is related to the chemical composition of a specific substance. For example, isopentyl acetate has the odor of bananas. Inversely, if you smell bananas, isopentyl acetate is present.
Yes, odor is considered a physical property of a substance. Physical properties are characteristics that can be observed or measured without changing the composition or identity of the substance. They include properties such as color, shape, texture, and odor.
Odor is the perception of a substance's smell or scent. It is caused by volatile molecules that are released from the substance and detected by the olfactory system in our noses. While odor is indeed caused by chemicals, it is still classified as a physical property because it can be observed and characterized without undergoing a chemical reaction or change.
To determine whether odor is a physical property, you can use your senses to perceive and identify smells. Additionally, you can use instruments such as gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) to analyze and quantify the specific volatile compounds that contribute to the odor of a substance. These methods help in understanding and categorizing odor as a physical property.