Question

what's intensive? and what's extensive? the difference? what can i use to remember them?

Answer 1

'In'tensive I think of as internal
'Ex'tensive I think of as external

My internal environment doesn't change by how much I have.
However, my external environment changes by how much I have.

In terms of chemistry, an intensive property doesn't change by the the amount of matter. For example, color and temperature does not change if there is more or less matter.

However, extensive properties do change based on the amount of matter. Mass and density are examples of extensive properties.

Answer 2

Great answer @LeibyStrauss but one slight correction, density is an intensive property not an extensive one. A way to think about it is that a stone sinks whether it's a big rock or small rock, because the density is the same.

Also I think it might be nice to clear up two related but confusing properties:

Temperature is an intensive property and Heat is an extensive property. The way to think of this is you might step into a slightly cold lake, and you recognize immediately that you have a higher temperature. But the lake could have more heat than you, because you're just a little human, and the lake contains a lot more heat in it, it's just distributed out over the whole lake. But if you could somehow take the heat out of part of the lake and put it into another part, part of the lake would freeze and another part might boil because of how much heat was transferred!

Answer 3

woah.. great responses guys! Thank you so much it really did help. :)

Answer 4

@Woodward I stand corrected. Density is intensive not extensive.

Answer 5

@LeibyStrauss & @Woodward

Answer 6

@LeibyStrauss I had never really thought of color as being an intensive property before I really liked that example!