Properties of Matter

[Pages:16]Properties of Matter

States of Matter

Water has three forms. Water is a solid when it is frozen as ice. Water is a liquid in the oceans. Water in the air can be a gas. The state, or phase of matter, is due to the movement of its particles and how they are arranged.

Solids

A solid is matter that has a definite shape and volume. Volume is the amount of space an object takes up. The particles of a solid are close together. They stay in the same place. They vibrate in place.

Liquids

A liquid is matter that has a definite volume but no definite shape. The particles of a liquid can move by gliding past each other. A liquid will take the shape of its container. A liquid keeps a definite volume.

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Gases

A gas is matter without a definite volume or shape. The particles of a gas are far apart compared to the particles of a solid and a liquid. Gas particles touch only when they collide as they move. If a gas is placed in a container, it will spread out evenly. The gas will fill all the space and take the shape of that container.

Plasma

A plasma is like a gas because it has no volume or shape of its own. It is also like a metal because it can conduct electricity. The sun is made up of gases and plasma. Plasma can also be found in neon lights.

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Freezing and Melting

As a liquid cools, its particles slow down. At some point they stop gliding past each other and can only vibrate in place. The liquid becomes a solid. The temperature at which a liquid turns into a solid is called its freezing point. The temperature at which a solid changes to a liquid is called its melting point.

The melting point and freezing point of a material are the same temperature. But this temperature is usually referred to as the melting point.

Each material has its own melting point. That is why melting point can be used to help identify a material.

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Evaporation

Evaporation takes place when particles leave the surface of a liquid and change to a gas. This is how water in puddles and in wet clothes evaporates.

If the temperature of a liquid is high enough, particles will change to a gas throughout the liquid too. These gas particles form bubbles and move up quickly through a liquid. The temperature at which this happens is the boiling point of the liquid.

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Condensation

Condensation takes place when a gas changes to a liquid. This often happens when gas particles touch a cold surface. The temperature of the gas drops. Clouds and dew form through the condensation of water vapor.

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Properties of Matter

Every solid, liquid, and gas has its own set of physical properties. These physical properties can be observed and measured without changing the material.

Color

Color is a physical property of matter. You can tell the color of matter just by looking at it. Color helps identify matter.

Volume

The amount of space an object takes up is its volume. You can use a graduated cylinder to find the volume of a liquid. Pour the liquid into the cylinder and read the volume on the scale.

Solids and gases also have volume. To measure their volume, put a liquid in a graduated cylinder. Then put in the solid or blow the gas into the liquid. The change in the level tells you the volume of the solid or gas.

Mass

The amount of matter in a solid, liquid, or gas is called its mass. A balance is used to find the mass of an object. Mass and weight are not the same thing.

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Temperature

The temperature of an object is a measure of how fast its particles are moving. The higher the temperature, the faster the particles move. You can tell when they move faster, because the object becomes warmer. There are different scales for measuring temperature. One scale uses degrees Celsius (?C). Another scale uses degrees Fahrenheit (?F).

Texture

When you touch a solid object, it may feel smooth or rough. How its surface feels is its texture. You can also feel the texture of a liquid by rubbing a drop between two fingers. Liquids may feel slimy, sticky, or thick.

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Mixtures

In a mixture, different materials are placed together but each material keeps its own properties. Fruits are cut and mixed together to make a mixture. The flavors and colors of the parts of the fruit mixture do not change. Different parts of a mixture can be separated from the rest of the mixture. The parts may be mixed in different amounts.

Separating Mixtures

The different materials in a simple mixture can be separated because they have different physical properties. For example, a magnet can separate iron filings from sand. This separation happens because iron has the property of being attracted by magnets. Sand does not have that property.

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