Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Phases
By Emmanuel DIkolelay
Matter
Matter describes everything that we can see, touch, smell, or feel. In other
words, matter is anything that has mass & takes up space (including air &
almost everything else).
matter: anything that has
mass & takes up space
atom: the smallest unit of
Atoms matter
Protons & neutrons stick together to form the center of an atom, called the
nucleus, which has a net positive charge. Electrons orbit, or circle around,
the nucleus, but too quickly to pinpoint their exact locations.
The way something feels, looks, smells, & tastes are all physical
properties. It´s easy to classify matter by these characteristics.
Some common physical properties used to differentiate matter
are:
Color, SIZE, DENSITY
malleability: (how easily something can be flattened, shaped, or
pressed)
magnetism: (whether or not something is magnetic)
Synthetic Materials are materials that don´t occur to nature, but are
instead made from natural resources that undergo a chemical change.
For example, polyester is a synthetic fiber made from air, water, coal,
& petroleum. Acid & alcohol are used to create a chemical reaction,
which results in polyester fibers.
Conservation of Mass
While things may change appearance or composition during physical &
chemical changes, 1 thing remains consistent: the amount of matter
present. This concept is called the conservation of mass. So mass doesn´t
just dissapear - it still exists, but it may be in a different form, like in the
surrounding gases. The atoms have just rearranged to form different
substances.
conservation of mass: the amount of
mass at the start of a reaction will equal
the amount of mass after the reaction
States of Matter
Matter is usually found in three states (or phases): solid, liquid, & vapor (or
gas). The arrangement & behavior of particles is what determines the state
of matter. The attraction between particles keeps particles close together, &
the energy of their movement allows particles to overcome these attractive
forces.
Solids
A solid, like ice, wood, or metal, is matter that has a defined shape &
volume. The particles in matter are packed closely together, & they don´t
move around freely, which is why a solid has a defined shape & volume. Still,
particles in a solid vibrate back & forth, but not enough to overcome the
attractive force between particles.
Liquids
Liquids are free-flowing & assume the shape of the container that holds
them. Liquids, however, do have a fixed volume. Particles in liquid move
around fast enough to overcome attractive forces. While the liquid particles
do move freely, they still stick together. The speed at which a liquid flows
depends on its viscosity. Viscosity is the resistance to flow.
Vapors
Vapors (or Gases) don´t have fixed volume or shape. The shape & volume of
a gas depends on its container, & unlike liquids, it will fill any container you
place it in. The molecules in gases spread really far apart & move at high
speeds. Gas molecules move so quickly that they are able to overcome
attractive forces between particles, which allows the molecules to seperate
on their own. If you spilled the gas from a balloon into the air, it would
disperse evenly into the air.
State Features Movement of Particles