Which of the following is an extensive property?

• A. Temperature
• B. Density
• C. Color
• D. Mass

Answer: (D)

Extensive properties depend on the amount of matter present. Mass directly reflects how much stuff you have—the more material, the more mass you get, so doubling the sample doubles the mass. In contrast, temperature, density, and color don’t change with how much material you have (under the same conditions). Temperature is about average kinetic energy per particle and stays the same for a larger or smaller sample in equilibrium. Density is mass per volume; for a uniform material, increasing the amount increases both mass and volume proportionally, leaving density unchanged. Color is a property of the material that doesn’t depend on the amount. Therefore, mass is the extensive property among the options.