Year 9 Worksheet 2 – States of Matter

Name : Alric Dsouza Date : 16-9-2022

1. The diagram shows the cooling curve for substance X.

Add the appropriate description of the cooling curve against a, b, c or d shown below:
a where the substance is freezing : - 55
b the melting point of the substance : - 55
c where the substance is in the liquid state and cooling down (time range): - 20-35 min
d where the mean energy of the particles is highest (time) : -

2. The table shows some melting points and boiling points.

Substance Melting point Boiling point

(°C) (°C)
Ethanol −114 78
Ammonia −78 −33
fluorine −220 −188
Mercury −39 357
a Copy the table below, and complete it to show the state of each substance at the
temperature shown.

Temperature
Ethanol ammonia Fluorine Mercury
(°C)
215 gas gas gas gas
0 liquid gas liquid liquid
−215 solid solid solid solid

1
 b Ethanol and mercury are both used in making thermometers. Scientists use ‘ultra-low’
freezers to store heat-sensitive substances at −40 °C to −85 °C. Explain which type of
thermometer, ethanol or mercury, would be most suitable for use in these freezers.\
the type of thermometer in a freezer i would agree is an ethanol thermometer as they are
cheaper and of less hazard this is also because ethanol can freeze up to -115 degrees
whereas mercury only can freeze up to -38 degrees as ethanol is less toxic to the body and
evaporates quickly

3. Some students did an experiment using a substance with a melting point of 70 °C. They
heated some of the substance in a boiling tube to 85 °C, and then allowed it to cool. They
recorded its temperature every minute until it reached 55 °C.
a Sketch a cooling curve for this experiment. (in your note book/graph paper, take a
picture and post it in GC along with this worksheet)
b On your diagram, mark the starting and finishing temperatures, and also the melting
point.
c Identify the parts of the curve that show the substance cooling in the solid state.