Measuring Matter
Lesson 1
What is Matter?
Mass and Volume
•
Matter is anything, living or nonliving, that has mass and
takes up space.
•
Mass is the amount of material that an object has in it,
while volume is amount of space an object takes up.
Physical Properties of Matter
•
Matter can be described by its physical properties, such as
color, shape, size, mass, and state.
•
The three states of matter are a solid, liquid, and a gas.
•
A solid has shape and volume of its own.
•
A liquid has a certain volume but no definite shape.
•
A gas has no shape or volume of its own.
Mixtures and Solutions
•
In a mixture, two or more substances are mixed together
but can easily be separated, (a salad)
•
A solution is a mixture where one substance spreads evenly
throughout the other. (Kool-Aid)
1
Lesson 2
How Are Length and Volume Measured?
Measuring Length
•
Length is a physical property of matter.
It measures the distance between two points.
•
In the metric system, length is measured in meters, centimeters,
millimeters, and kilometers.
•
1 meter =100 centimeters
•
1 centimeter = 10 millimeters
•
1 kilo meter = 1000 meters
Measuring Volume
•
The volume of a solid with a regular shape can be measured by
multiplying the object's length times its width times its height.
•
lxwxh
•
A cubic meter is a basic unit for measuring volume.
•
A graduated cylinder can be used to find the volume of an
irregularly shaped solid that does not absorb water.
2
Lesson 3
How Do You Find Mass and Density?
Measuring Mass
•
Mass is not the same as weight.
•
Mass is a measure of the amount of matter in an
object. Weight is a measure of the gravitational force
acting on an object.
•
You can find the mass of an object by balancing it
with an object of known mass.
•
Large objects are measured in kilograms, smaller
objects in grams, and very small objects in milligrams.
Density
•
Density is another property of matter. It refers to
how much mass is in a certain volume of matter. (Oil will
float on top of vinegar because it has less mass than the
vinegar.)
•
If two objects have the same mass, but one is larger,
the smaller object has the greater density.
3
What Are Physical Changes?
Lesson 4
Physical Changes in Matter
•
When matter undergoes a physical change, one or more
of its physical properties are changed in some way, but the
matter itself does not change into a different kind of matter.
Heating and Cooling Matter
•
Matter changes state when it is heated or cooled beyond
a certain temperature.
•
When ice is heated to 0 C, it melts, or changes from a
solid to a liquid.
•
When water is heated to 100 C, it boils, or changes from
a liquid to a gas. A change of state is a physical change
•
The melting point is the temperature at which a solid
substance becomes a liquid.
•
The boiling point of a material is the temperature at
which it boils. This is also the temperature at which a material
changes from a liquid to a gas.
•
The freezing point of a substance is the temperature at
which the substance changes from a liquid to a solid.
4
What Are Chemical Changes?
Lesson 5
Chemical Changes in Matter
•
A chemical change produces a completely different kind of
matter.
•
The matter may have different properties from the original
matter. (Cooking pancakes is an example of a chemical change.)
•
Eating pancakes or other foods produces a chemical change in
your body.
Rusting, Tarnishing, and Burning
•
Rusting, burning, and tarnishing are examples of chemical
changes.
•
Rust is formed when oxygen joins with iron.
•
Tarnish forms when air mixes with copper, silver, and certain
other metals and causes the metal to look less shiny.
•
The reaction between oxygen gas and hydrogen gas releases a
lot of energy that causes an explosion. (The space shuttle uses this
chemical change to propel into orbit.)
5