Intrinsic and extrinsic properties of matter

In science and engineering, intrinsic and extrinsic properties are two classifications of matter or objects. In the intrinsic property is inherent or innate to the sample, whereas a extrinsic property is not inherent to the sample.

An intrinsic property remains the same regardless of the conditions under which it is measured. Its value depends on the chemical composition and structure. The value of an extrinsic property can change, depending on the conditions. It depends on how external factors affect the sample.

The key to identifying whether a property is intrinsic or extrinsic is to determine whether any factor could change its value. Thus, a property that may be intrinsic to one object may be extrinsic to another.

Examples of intrinsic and extrinsic properties.

For example, the mass of a ball is an intrinsic property. It does not depend on external factors or forces. In contrast, the weight of a ball is an extrinsic property. It depends on gravity, which is not the same everywhere.

Sometimes, whether a property is intrinsic or extrinsic depends on the state of matter. For example, the size of a glass ball (a solid) is an intrinsic property. But the size of a balloon (filled with gas) is an extrinsic property, because it depends on temperature and pressure. The colour of a shirt can be red (an intrinsic property), but the colour of the gemstone called alexandrite can be blue or red, depending on the angle of view (an extrinsic property).

Whether a property is intrinsic or extrinsic depends on whether it is a particular object or matter in general. For example, the length of a metre of wood is an intrinsic property. Length is an extrinsic property of wood, because wood has no set “length” value. The strength of a particular piece of copper is intrinsic, while the resistance of the “copper wire” is extrinsic because it depends on the length and diameter of the wire. Context matters!