INTERNARRATIVAS FÍSICA Y QUÍMICA / 01 PROPIEDADES DE LA MATERIA / PRINTABLE THEORY

1. The scientific method

This is the method that scientists follow to find out and define laws that
explain natural phenomena.

1.1. The stages of the scientific method

The stages of the scientific method are:

a. Observing: Scientists want to answer the question: ‘What happens?’ They ask
questions and collect information on the phenomenon they observe, and
consult other possible sources of information. They collect data that helps
them to understand the phenomenon, and make tables of information from
it.

b. Experimenting and investigating: The next question is: ‘How does it happen?’
Using the data they obtained before, scientists try to reproduce the
phenomenon over and over again. They do this to see what variables it
depends on and how they might be related.

c. Formulating a hypothesis: The third question is: ‘Why does it happen?’ They
then formulate a hypothesis. This is the initial conclusion which the scientist
has come to and which they want to try and prove.

d. Testing the hypothesis and analysing the data in tables and graphs: The
hypothesis may or may not be true. If it is not true, the scientist goes back to
the experimentation stage and formulates a new hypothesis. A hypothesis is
true as long as the tests do not prove it to be wrong. If it is true, the scientist
goes to the next stage.

e. Formulating a rule or law: Once a hypothesis is proved to be correct, the

scientist needs to define the rule or law. This is generally expressed as a
mathematical formula.

Example
The law of the lever: (Power of your arm = The lever arm's resistance).
P × b1 = R × b2

The research results are shown in these laws, as well as in tables and diagrams.

1.2. Working in a laboratory

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INTERNARRATIVAS FÍSICA Y QUÍMICA / 01 PROPIEDADES DE LA MATERIA / PRINTABLE THEORY

A laboratory is a place where we find the tools and measuring instruments we

need to do experiments and scientific research.

The most common devices and instruments are: pipettes, burettes, beakers, test
tubes, measuring cylinders, flasks, Erlenmeyer, pH paper, filter paper, precision
scales, and so on.

Safety in the lab. Here are some safety standards for the laboratory:

a. You should wear a lab coat, gloves and safety glasses, and make use of the
fume hood.

b. Keep the space clean and tidy. Use glass, lighters, acids and dangerous
substances with caution.

c. It is important to know how to dispose of waste and to understand the

meanings of the different warnings on the labels, such as: explosive,
oxidising, toxic, corrosive, harmful, flammable, dangerous, etc.

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2. Physical quantities and

how we measure them
2.3. Conversion factors
A conversion factor is a mathematical operation to make changes to a unit. It is a
fraction, one per physical quantity, in which the denominator has the original unit
and the numerator the new unit.

Example
If we want to convert 3 kilometers into the unit of length used in the
International System, meters, we can calculate it the following way:
1000m
3km ⋅ = 3000m . The starting unit is the denominator and is
1km
measured in kilometers. The new unit is the numerator and is measured
in meters.

You can also make unit changes with quantities that combine two units at the
same time, such as speed measured in m/s.

Example
Example: You want to change 25 meters per second to kilometers per
hour to see how fast a car is going and if it exceeds the motorway’s
speed limit (the speed limit is 120 km).

a. Unit equivalents: ( 1km = 1000m and 1h = 3600s )

m 1km 3600s km

b. 25 ⋅ ⋅ = 90
s 1000m 1h h

a. We find that the car is travelling at a speed that does not exceed
the speed limit.

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INTERNARRATIVAS FÍSICA Y QUÍMICA / 01 PROPIEDADES DE LA MATERIA / PRINTABLE THEORY

3. Matter
What is matter? Matter is everything that surrounds us which has mass and
occupies a volume. It can be in a solid, liquid or gaseous state. Some matter
can be sensed, other examples cannot. We cannot see, smell or touch the air
we breathe, to give an example.

The properties of matter. Matter has properties that help us identify it. It has
general properties, and characteristic properties.

3.1. General properties

The most common general properties of matter are mass, volume and
temperature.

Mass

All matter has mass. Mass is a physical quantity that can be measured in an
object or body. Its value depends on the resistance of the body to a change of
position or speed. Its unit in the S.I. is the kilogram (Kg).

It is important not to confuse these three quantities: mass, the amount of a

substance and force. They have different units in the International System of
Measurements (S.I.):

a. Mass is measured in kilograms (kg).

b. Weight is a force of attraction and its unit is newtons (N).

c. The quantity of a substance is measured in moles (mol). This unit is widely

used in chemistry.

A mole is defined as the amount of substance that is made up of a number of

particles equal to the number of atoms in 12 g of carbon-12.

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That number is equivalent to Avogadro's constant, which is 6.022 ⋅ 10 particles .
The particles could be: molecules, atoms, ions, electrons, etc.

We can use a balance or a set of scales to measure mass. We measure mass on a

balance by comparing it with a unit of matter, kg. The International System is the
system chosen by the I.U.P.A.C (the International Union of Pure and Applied
Chemistry).

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INTERNARRATIVAS FÍSICA Y QUÍMICA / 01 PROPIEDADES DE LA MATERIA / PRINTABLE THEORY

Volume

All matter occupies a volume. Volume is the amount of space that a body or
substance occupies. Its unit in the International System is the cubic metre
3
and its symbol: m . All matter occupies a volume.

We can use two methods to measure volume:

a. The mathematical method: finding the volume through formulas.

b. By using instruments.

Example
The volume of a parallelepiped = length multiplied by width and height (
V = atimesbtimesc). Volume of the cylinder = area of the base times
2
the height (V = atimesr timesh).

Example
By using instruments. Example: we can immerse an object in a container
of water and measure the difference between the volume of the water
and the object.

The capacity is the internal volume of a container, not the volume it occupies.
Capacity is usually measured in liters. The equivalence is
3 3 3
1L = 10 m = 1dm

3.2. Characteristic properties

Characteristic properties allow us to differentiate one type of matter from
another. Some of the most common are:

a. Physical state: solid, liquid and gaseous.

b. Density: This does not depend on the amount of matter. It is the quotient of a
m
3
body’s mass and its volume: d = . It is measured in kg/m . This property
V

can help us identify what kind of matter it is.

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c. Hardness: This is the resistance that a body has to being scratched. It is

measured with a scale of hardness.

d. Solubility: This is the ability of a substance to dissolve in water or other

solvents.

e. Electrical conductivity: This is the ability a material has to allow electrical

current to pass through it.