What are intensive thermodynamic properties?

Intensive thermodynamic properties are characteristic attributes of a system that do not change irrespective of the amount of material present. This means that whether you have a small sample or a larger one, the value of the intensive properties remains constant. Examples of intensive properties include temperature, pressure, and density. They provide crucial information about the inherent nature and state of a system, allowing for easy comparison between systems of different sizes.

In contrast, extensive properties, such as mass and volume, do depend on the quantity of material present. This distinction is essential in thermodynamics as it helps in understanding how a system responds to changes in conditions and facilitates the analysis of processes involving changes in state.