SCIENTIFIC MODELS AND
THE PARTICLE MODEL OF
MATTER
1. What do we call these representations of the molecules of
solid, liquid and gas?
2. What is the importance of using scientific representations
like this in learning science?
SHORT REVIEW
This lesson will be focusing on scientific
models, gradually transitioning towards the
particle model of matter.
LESSON PURPOSE
1.How can we visualize things that cannot
be seen by the eye?
2.How can we visualize things that is too
big, and complex be examined in
actuality?
SCAVENGER
HUNT
UNLOCKING CONTENT VOCABULARY
MODEL - A scientific model is a physical
and/or mathematical and/or conceptual
representation of a system of ideas, events
or processes.
PARTICLE - A particle is a small portion of
matter.
MATTER - Matter is anything that takes up
space and can be weighed. In other words,
matter has volume and mass.
DIAGRAM - A scientific diagram is a picture
which shows exactly how an experiment has
been set up.
PHYSICAL MODEL - A physical model is a
constructed copy of an object that is
designed to represent that object. A
physical model can be smaller, larger, or the
same size as the actual object it represents.
A model that is larger or smaller than the
actual object is called a scale model.
STATE OF MATTER - one of the distinct forms
in which matter can exist. Four states of
matter are observable in everyday life: solid,
liquid, gas, and plasma.
Additional states of matter include BoseEinstein condensate, quark-gluon plasma, and
degenerate matter.
COMPUTER SIMULATION - the use of a
computer to represent the dynamic responses
of one system by the behaviour of another
system modeled after it. A simulation uses a
mathematical description, or model, of a real
system in the form of a computer program.
PROPERTY - a characteristic or trait that you
can use to describe matter by observation,
measurement, or combination.
SOLID - a state of matter characterized by
particles arranged such that their shape and
volume are relatively stable.
LIQUID - a type of matter with specific
properties that make it less rigid than a solid
but more rigid than a gas.
GAS - a substance that is in a gaseous, or
vaporous, state of matter. Gas has no fixed
shape or volume.
MELTING - The process in which solid
substances are converted into liquids
by adding heat.
FREEZING - the process that causes a
substance to change from a liquid to
a solid.
EVAPORATION - the process that changes liquid water to gaseous
water (water vapor).
CONDENSATION - the process where water vapor becomes liquid.
SUBLIMATION - conversion of a substance from the solid to the
gaseous state without its becoming liquid.
DEPOSITION - the transition of a substance directly from the gas
to the solid state on cooling, without passing through the liquid
state.
ENERGY - the ability to do work
TEMPERATURE - the measure of hotness or coldness expressed in
terms of any of several scales, including Fahrenheit and Celsius.
1. What do you think a scientific model is?
2. Can you give an example of a scientific model you have
encountered before?
3. Why do you thing scientists use models understand
phenomena?
INTRODUCTION TO
SCIENTIFIC MODELS
A scientific model is a physical and/or mathematical and/or
conceptual representation of a system of ideas, events or
processes. Scientists seek to identify and understand patterns in
our world by drawing on their scientific knowledge to offer
explanations that enable the patterns to be predicted.
Examples of Models
Why are models used by scientists to understand phenomena?
* Scientific models are representations of objects, systems or
events and are used as tools for understanding the natural
world. Models use familiar objects to represent unfamiliar
things.
* Models can help you visualize, or picture in your mind,
something that is difficult to see or understand. Models can
help scientists communicate their ideas, understand processes,
and make predictions. The chart below shows examples of
what models can represent.
Model of an atom by Democritus
Activity 2. Crossword
Puzzle