PPT
States of Matter
Developer Notes
 I hope this works. Dave probably has a better idea about the stations than I do.
 This whole unit is about fluids: section 1 about hydraulics, section 2 about
pneumatics
 We’re not really taking an “historical” approach. Are we supposed to be?
Goals
 Identify properties of solids, liquids, and gases.
 Understand differences between solids, liquids, and gases
Concepts & Skills Introduced
Area
Physics
Concept
States of matter
Time Required
1 class period (45 min) ???
Warm-up Questions
 What are the differences between solids, liquids, and gases?
 How are nutrients (& wastes) transported in the body?
 Why is blood useful for transporting nutrients?
 Why is a liquid medium better than a solid for transporting nutrients in the human
body?
Presentation
Transition- We focused on the skeletal system in the statics section. Bones are solid
(rigid and incompressible), so they're good for protection, support, and (with joints)
motion. But matter comes in other forms, too. How do they work in our bodies?
Quick review of states of matter: There are four states of matter, solid (like bones), liquid
(like blood), gas (like air), and plasma (like the center of the sun!). And there are
mixtures and in-betweens, like glass and Jell-o. This activity focuses on the properties of
solids, liquids, and gases. We won’t be studying plasmas, but in case a student wonders,
plasmas are gases at such high temperatures that the atoms have been ionized (stripped of
one or more electrons) and can’t even combine to form molecules. (Fun stuff!) Plasmas
consist of the ionized atoms and the free electrons. Plasmas are found in fluorescent
lamps, the sun and other stars, and the auroras.
Liquids are midway between solids and gases. Liquids and gases are both classified as
fluids because they flow. The attractive forces between the particles (molecules or
atoms) are weak, so they readily move past each other. In gases, the particles are also far
apart, so gases can be compressed.
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States of Matter
Solids and liquids are considered the condensed phases of matter because the molecules
are close together. Because the molecules are close together there is no room for
compression, unlike gases.
In solids, the bonds between the particles are strong, so solids retain their shape.
Solid
Liquid
Gas
Flows
(changes shape)
No
Yes
Yes
Compressible
No
No
Yes
Back to the original question: How do the different states of matter work in our bodies?
A good example of a liquid in our bodies is blood. Blood supplies nutrients to, and
removes waste from, our bodies. What makes blood useful for these purposes? First,
blood is a fluid, which means it can flow and change shape easily. More specifically,
blood is a liquid, which means that it is incompressible so it can be pumped easily. We'll
use the circulatory system as an example of hydraulics, the study of fluids.
The most obvious example of gas in our bodies is breathing (although your students
might suggest otherwise). We'll use the respiratory system as an example of pneumatics the study of gases.
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States of Matter
Problem
Observe properties of solids, liquids, and gases.
Activity
Stations – NEED TO DEVELOP MORE
 Pour a solid (clunk), liquid and gas. Demo of pouring CO2 with shadow light?
Cold air pouring/falling? Steam?
 Put a solid, liquid, gas (let a candle burn out in a closed container so the
smoke is visible?) in a cup (closed container?)
 Put a solid in a liquid (in a cup). The liquid conforms to the solid.
 Pick up a solid, liquid, gas(?) with your hands or a cup. The liquid and gas
flow out.
 Put a gas in a liquid (upside down beaker in a bucket). The gas fills the
container (but you can't see it).
 Pour a gas from one glass to another, underwater. (Hewitt, #3 pg 284)
 Compress a solid (push on it [in a syringe?]), liquid (syringe), gas (syringe).
The solid and liquid are incompressible, but the gas can be compressed.
Summary
Fill in the following table:
Flows
(changes shape)
Solid
Liquid
Gas
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Compressible
PPT
States of Matter
Background/History
In the statics unit we used bones to look at forces on objects in equilibrium. Bones are an
example of matter found in the solid state. Matter is found in three different states: solid,
liquid, and gas. (There is also a special fourth state of matter called plasma).
Besides solids, are there other states of matter useful in our bodies? Of course. We
breathe air to absorb oxygen, and we transport the oxygen through our bodies in our
blood. Air is a gas and blood is a liquid. What are the properties that make them useful?
Let’s compare the properties of solids, liquids, and gases.
Exercises
1. What is water called in each of its three states? Can you think of anything else that
exists in all three states naturally?
2. Give five examples of matter for each of the three states.
3. Which state of matter would work best for absorbing shocks?
4. We breathe air. What do fish breathe? What properties are similar between what we
breathe and what fish breathe?
5. Boats travel through water, and planes travel through air. What property makes water
and air good mediums for motion? Why do planes have to go faster than boats?
6. What travels through earth (a solid)?
7. Where do you think sound travels the fastest, in a solid, liquid, or gas?
8. Assuming that solids, liquids, and gases are made of little particles (they are - atoms
and molecules), draw a picture of a solid, a liquid, and a gas, showing the differences
in structure that might account for their different qualities.
9. Brakes in cars are operated by pushing a liquid (brake fluid) through small tubes
(brake lines). Why should all the air be removed from the lines?
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