States of Matter

Everything
• is made of particles (very tiny pieces)
• looks different because of the arrangement of particles.
o e.g., Rock, Water, Air

Particles on the move

• In rock à particles are not free to move
• In water and air à particles can move and bounce off
• E.g.,
o cooking smells (smells are caused by gas particles mixing and moving through
air)
o dancing dust and smoke in the air
• Evidence in the lab
o Place a crystal of potassium manganate (VII) in a
beaker of water. The color spreads through the water.
(particles leave the crystal – it dissolves)
o Place an open gas jar of air upside down on an open
gas jar containing red-brown bromine. The color
spreads upwards because particles of bromine vapor
mix among the particles of air.

Diffusion
Diffusion is the flow of particles from where they are more concentrated to where they are
less concentrated until they are evenly spread out.
The rate of diffusion of gases depends on two factors: mass and temperature.
• The particles in hydrogen chloride gas are twice as heavy as those in ammonia gas.

• Ammonia particles and hydrogen chloride particles diffuse along the tube.
• A white smoke (ammonium chloride) forms where they meet, closer to the hydrochloric
acid end because ammonia is lighter than HCl.
• The lower the mass of its particles (relative molecular mass), the faster a gas will diffuse.
• The higher the temperature, the faster a gas will diffuse.

What are the particles?

(Very small particles and cannot be broken down further by chemical means à Atoms)
• A single atom (argon)
• Two or more atoms joined together
o Molecules (water, bromine, N2, O2)
• Atoms or groups of atoms
o Ions (Potassium manganate (VII))

3 states of matter The arrangement of particles explains why.

1) Solid
2) Liquid
3) Gas

Fixed shape and volume Change shape and volume

Fixed volume, change shape
Solid does not flow Gas spread out to fills its container
Liquid flows easily

Water: Solid, liquid and gas

Water state can be changed by heating or cooling.
On heating
• ice à water (melting) at 0oC
• water à water vapor (evaporating/boiling) at 100oC
(Boiling – liquid starts to see bubble)
On cooling
• water vapor à water (Condensing) at 100oC
• water à ice (Freezing) at 0oC
(The temperature of the melting point and that of the freezing point of a substance are exactly the same)
 Other things can change states

Showing changes of state on graph

• heating graph
• cooling graph

The particles in solids, liquids and gases

• Water (solid à liquid à gas) (Its particles do not change, but their arrangement changes)

Fixed pattern or lattice Close together but not lattice Fixed pattern or lattice
Strong force holds them together weaker force holds them together No force holds them together
Just vibration can move slightly Can move quickly in all direction

Changing state
Solid to liquid (Melting)

Liquid to gas (Boiling)

Evaporating
• Even well below the boiling point, some have enough energy to escape from liquid
and form a gas. This is called evaporation.
(Amount of heat needed to melt or boil a substance depends on the forces holding them together.)
Reversing the changes

Solid to Gas (Sublimation)

Gas to Solid (Deposition)
(A small number of substances can change directly from a solid to a gas, or from a gas to a
solid, at normal pressure without involving any liquid in the process.)
E.g., CO2 sublimes at -78.5oC

A closer look at gases

Gas pressure – The pressure exerted on the wall of its container (e.g.,
balloon)
All gases exert a pressure which depends on temperature and volume of
the gas.
• When you heat a gas in a closed container, its pressure increases.
• When a gas is compressed into a smaller space, its pressure increases.