MATTERVocabulary

MATTER

Anything that takes up space and has mass.

MASS

Mass is the amount of matter in an object. This is different from weight which is a measure of gravity's effect on something. Move to a different planet and an object's weight will change, but its mass will be the same.

There are a couple of ways to measure mass. The most common method is to use a balance. If you go to a different planet, the balance weights change by the same factor as the object you are measuring. Your mass measured with a balance would be the same on the moon as it is on Earth.

VOLUME

How much space an object takes up. Volume can be measured a number of ways

depending on the application. In math, volume is equivalent to length x width x height. In science, liquid volume is measured using a graduated cylinder. Solids can be measured by the amount of liquid volume that is displaced.

PROPERTY

Something about an object that can be observed. There are two types of properties:

Chemical Properties: Any property that becomes evident during a chemical reaction.

Physical Properties: Any property that can be observed without changing the object.

STATES OF MATTER

Solid A solid forms from liquid or gas because

the energy of atoms decreases when the atoms take up a relatively ordered, three-dimensional structure.

All solids have the ability to resist forces applied either perpendicular or parallel to a surface.

STATES OF MATTER

Liquid When a liquid is poured into a container, it takes

the shape of the container. when a liquid is poured from one container to another, it keeps its volume but not its shape. Gases, for example, expand to fill their container so that the volume they occupy is the same as that of the container. Solids retain both their shape and volume when moved from one container to another.

STATES OF MATTER

Gas Gases appear to have no structure at all. They

have neither a definite size nor shape. Gases will completely fill any closed container; their properties depend on the volume of a container but not on its shape.

STATES OF MATTER When a liquid is poured into a container, it takes

the shape of the container. when a liquid is poured from one container to another, it keeps its volume but not its shape. liquids have a definite size, or volume, even though they adapt their shape to that of the container in which they are placed.

Gases expand to fill their container so that the volume they occupy is the same as that of the container. Gases will completely fill any closed container.

Solids retain both their shape and volume when moved from one container to another. solids have both a definite size and a definite shape.

SOLID

LIQUID

GAS

STATES OF MATTER

LOOK AROUND THE ROOM AND FIND ALL THREE STATES OF

MATTER.

ATOM

A basic unit of matter that consists of a dense central nucleus surrounded by a cloud of negatively charged electrons.

MOLECULES

a group of atoms bonded together

CHANGES IN MATTER

Physical Change a usually reversible change in the physical

properties of a substance, such as size, shape, or phase.

PHYSICAL CHANGE Heating and Cooling

Many elements and some compounds change from solids to liquids and from liquids to gases when heated and the reverse when cooled

Magnetism The process is reversible and does not affect the chemical composition.

Crystallization Many elements and compounds form crystals. Some such as carbon can

form several different forms including diamond, graphite, graphene and fullerenes.

Mixtures Mixtures can be separated easily and usually do so on their own. One

familiar example is the mixture of fine sand with water used to make sandcastles. Neither the sand on its own nor the water on its own will make a sand-castle but by using properties of both, the mixture behaves in a different way.

Solutions Most solutions of salts and some compounds such as sugars can be

separated by evaporation. Alloys

The mixing of different metal elements is known as alloying. Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc. Separating individual metals from an alloy can be difficult and may require chemical processing.

CHANGES IN MATTER

Chemical Change When one substance combines with another to

make a new substance.

CHEMICAL CHANGE Change of odor. Change of color (for example, silver to reddish-

brown when iron rusts). Change in temperature or energy, such as the

production (exothermic) or loss (endothermic) of heat.

Change of form - paper turning to ash when burned. Light, heat, or sound given off. Formation of gases, often appearing as bubbles in

liquids. Formation of a precipitate (insoluble particles). The decomposition of organic matter (for example,

rotting food).

DENSITY

mass per unit volume

BOILING

the action of bringing a liquid to the temperature at which it bubbles and turns to vapor.

FREEZING

turn a liquid into solid

EVAPORATION

the process of becoming a vapor or gas

CONDENSATION

the conversion of a vapor or gas to a liquid

MIXTURE

the product of distribution of one substance through another without any chemical reaction

SOLUTION

a liquid mixture in which one substance is completely distributed within the other substance Solvent: substance you have the most of Solute: substance being dissolved into solvent

Example: Kool-Aid Solvent: Water Solute: Kool-Aid mix

HOMOGENEOUS

The same

Homogeneous mixture: mixture of two substances where they are both evenly distributed. Also, means the same as solution. Example: blood, salt water, coffee, Kool-Aid

HETEROGENEOUS

Different

Heterogeneous mixture: mixture of two different things, not combined chemically Sandy water, orange juice with pulp, chicken

noodle soup

HETEROGENEOUS AND HOMOGENEOUS

A.K.A solution!

SOLUBILITY

the amount of a substance that will dissolve in a another substance

SUBSTANCE

a particular kind of matter with uniform properties

COLLOID

A colloid is a mixture where very small particles of one substance are evenly distributed throughout another substance. They appear very similar to solutions, but the particles are suspended in the solution rather than fully dissolved. The particles will not settle to the bottom over a period of time, they will stay suspended or float. 

Example: Milk is a mixture of liquid butterfat globules dispersed and suspended in water. 

Colloids are generally considered heterogeneous mixtures.

SUSPENSION

Suspension is a mixture between a liquid and particles of a solid BUT the particles do not dissolve. The particles and the liquid are mixed up so that the particles are "suspended" in the liquid. A key characteristic of a suspension is that the solid particles will settle and separate over time if left alone.

Example: water and sand. When mixed up, the sand will disperse throughout the water. If left alone, the sand will settle to the bottom.

Suspensions are heterogeneous.

VARIABLE

Something that you could change

INDEPENDENT VARIABLE

The part of the experiment you change ON PURPOSE

DEPENDENT VARIABLE

Variable that changes based on the independent variable Flowers get bigger or stay wimpy because of the

miracle grow

HYPOTHESIS

An educated guess about what will happen in an experiment.