Which physical property is an inherent characteristic of a substance: malleability, state of matter, electrical conductivity, color, or density?
The physical property that is an inherent characteristic of a substance is its state of matter.
To determine the state of matter of a substance, we need to observe how the substance behaves under different conditions of temperature and pressure. There are three main states of matter: solid, liquid, and gas.
A substance is in a solid state when its particles are tightly packed together and have a fixed shape and volume. For example, ice is a solid form of water.
A substance is in a liquid state when its particles are loosely packed together and can move freely. Liquids have a fixed volume but can change their shape to fit the container they are in. An example of a liquid is water.
A substance is in a gas state when its particles are widely spread apart and move rapidly. Gases have neither a fixed shape nor volume and can expand to fill any container. Examples of gases are oxygen and nitrogen.
By observing the behavior of a substance under different conditions, we can determine its state of matter, which is an inherent physical property of that substance.