The Classification of Matter Matter Matter is described as ?anything that takes up space and has mass.? Matter Matter was created ex nihilo, which means ?from nothing.? Science Guess Scientific method Faith Observation Question How can we know where matter comes from? 4 Atom - Clipart.com Item #20307567 Organization of Matter Pure substances Mixtures Is a substancepure or a mixture? Determined by: Physical properties Chemical properties Physical Properties Physical properties can be measured without changing the material into another substance. They describe how a substance is by itself. The following terms are examples of physical properties: density density describes how the particles are packed into a material malleability malleability