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Solid, Liquid and Gas | Matter Worksheets

Does 'Matter' matter to you? Are you in grade 2 or grade 3? Then, this collection of printable state of matter worksheets is ideal for you. This stack includes visually appealing charts with definitions and properties of the three states of matter. Tackling one at a time, work your way through amazing activity formats like cut and glue activities, picture and word sorting, fill up and many more to build knowledge and test comprehension. Try some of these worksheets for free!

Properties of matter - Chart

Aligned with the topic properties of the three states of matter, the chart here stimulates interest, summarizes the properties of solids, liquids and gases and assists in distinguishing between them.

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Identify the solids worksheet

Direct the children of grade 2 and grade 3 to observe the illustrations given in this circle the solids worksheet. Apply the properties to help figure out and circle the solids.

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Identify the liquids worksheet

Examine the pictures and analyze their properties to decide which of the objects are liquids. Hunt for the objects that possess the characteristics of liquids and circle them in this printable identify the liquids worksheet.

Identify the gases worksheet

Study the pictures carefully and contemplate on which of them contain or emit gas. Track down the objects associated with gas and circle them in this circle the gases worksheet PDF for 2nd grade and 3rd grade kids.

Sort as solid, liquid or gas

Equip yourself with this activity to learn classification of matter. Read the words in the word bank, identify their state and write them in the appropriate columns in this sort matter as solid, liquid or gas worksheet.

Classify the states of matter

An interesting variant to the sorting activity is this classifying matter cut and paste activity worksheet. Snip the picture boxes, sort them as solids, liquids or gases and glue them in the correct columns.

Identify the states of matter

Observe the objects in the pictures cautiously and recognize the category of matter they fall into and label the objects as solids, liquids or gases in this printable identifying the states of matter worksheet.

Label as solid, liquid or gas

Read the list of words, ponder awhile, identify the state as solid, liquid or gas and name them accordingly. Recapitulate the concept with this recognize and write the states of matter worksheet PDF.

States of matter | Fill in the blanks

This meticulously designed states of matter fill in the blanks worksheet consists of sentences to be completed by using the appropriate words from the word bank. Serves best in testing comprehension.

Reading comprehension

Read the passage, process the information given in the context and answer the questions. Utilize this study tool to elicit responses from the children of grade 3 based on their level of comprehension.

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States of Matter Worksheets

What is matter?

In short, matter is everything around you. By definition, matter is any substance that has mass and takes up space by having volume.

What is states of matter?

Matter usually exists in one of three states: solid, liquid or gas.

For example, ice is a solid, water is a liquid and steam is a gas.

In changing states, the atoms and molecules don’t change, but they way they move does.

For example: water is made of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom; these combined atoms are called water molecules.

Solid water is called ice. This is water with the lowest energy and temperature. The molecules are held tightly together and don’t move easily.

In liquid form we call it water. The water molecules are looser and can move about easily.

In gas form we call water steam or vapor. When water boils it turns into steam. These molecules are looser and move faster than liquid molecules.

The molecules don’t change through these states, but the way they move does. Matter changes state when more energy is added to it. That energy is often added in the form of heat or pressure.

Grade 2 states of matter worksheets

In our grade 2 science section, we have a series of worksheets for students to practice states of matter.

States of matter definitions

The first worksheet has students working on the definitions of states of matter .

Sorting states of matter worksheets

Following are a couple of worksheets where students sort images into solid, liquid or gas .

States of water worksheet

The final worksheet has students work on a specific example: the states of matter of water .

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Properties of Matter and Energy

Matter is anything that has mass and occupies space . It is made up of particles called atoms and molecules . Matter exists in various states - solid , liquid , and gas .

Properties of Matter

Matter has several properties, including:

• Mass: the amount of matter in an object
• Volume: the amount of space matter occupies
• Density : the mass per unit volume of a substance
• State: whether matter is a solid , liquid , or gas
• Texture: the feel or appearance of a substance
• Color: the visual appearance of a substance

Energy is the ability to do work or cause change . It exists in various forms, such as mechanical, thermal, chemical , electrical , and nuclear.

Forms of Energy

Some common forms of energy include:

• Kinetic Energy : energy of motion
• Potential Energy : stored energy
• Heat Energy : energy associated with the motion of particles
• Light Energy : energy that can be seen and used to see
• Sound Energy : energy produced by vibrating objects

Relationship between Matter and Energy

According to the law of conservation of mass and energy , matter and energy are neither created nor destroyed, but they can be transformed from one form to another.

Study Guide

To study properties of matter and energy , consider the following key points:

• Understand the basic properties of matter , such as mass, volume, and density .
• Learn about the different states of matter and their characteristics.
• Explore the various forms of energy and their applications in daily life .
• Study the relationship between matter and energy , and how they can be transformed from one form to another.
• Practice solving problems related to matter and energy , such as calculating kinetic energy or determining the density of a substance.

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◂ Science Worksheets and Study Guides Fifth Grade. Properties of matter and Energy

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Scientists say that much of the universe is made of mysterious “dark matter,” which cannot be seen.

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Introduction

An electron, a grain of sand, an elephant, and a giant quasar at the edge of the visible universe all have one thing in common—they are composed of matter. Matter is the material substance that makes up the physical universe. A beam of light, the motion of a falling stone, and the explosion of a stick of dynamite all have one thing in common—they are expressions of energy . Energy and matter together form the basis for all observable phenomena.

The States of Matter

Most of the matter that people ordinarily observe can be classified into one of three states, or phases: solid, liquid, or gas. Solid matter generally possesses and retains a definite size and shape, no matter where it is situated. A pencil, for example, does not change in size or shape if it is moved from a desktop and placed upright in a glass. A liquid, unlike a solid, assumes the shape of its container, even though, like a solid, it has a definite size, or volume. A pint of water changes its shape when it is poured from a glass into a bowl, but its volume remains the same. A gas expands to fill the complete volume of its container.

At a given temperature and pressure, a substance will be in the solid, liquid, or gaseous state. But if the temperature or the pressure changes, its state may also change. At constant atmospheric pressure the state of water, for example, changes with changes in temperature. Ice is water in the solid state. If it is removed from a freezer and placed in a warm pan, the ice warms up and changes to the liquid—water. If the pan is then placed over a hot fire, the water heats up and changes to water vapor, the gaseous state of water.

Most substances can exist in any of the three states (provided that they do not decompose chemically, as sugar, for example, often does when it is heated in air). Oxygen must be cooled to very low temperatures before it becomes a liquid or a solid ( see cryogenics ). Quartz must be heated to very high temperatures before it becomes a liquid or a gas.

In most people’s experience, wide changes in pressure are not as common as drastic changes in temperature. For this reason, examples of the effects of pressure on the states of matter are not common. Often, high-pressure machines and vacuum (low-pressure) machines must be used to study the effects of pressure changes on matter. Under very low pressures, matter generally tends to enter the gaseous phase. At very high pressures gases tend to liquefy and liquids tend to solidify. In fact, at the very lowest temperatures that can be reached, helium will not solidify unless a pressure of some 25 times normal atmospheric pressure is applied.

The relation between pressure and temperature in changes of state is familiar to people who live at high altitudes. There the pressure is lower than at sea level, so water boils at a lower temperature. Cooking anything in water takes longer on a mountaintop than at sea level.

These properties of the three states of matter are easily observed. They are explained, however, by a theory that describes the behavior of particles far too small to be seen.

Atomic Theory of Matter

All substances are made up of tiny units called atoms . Each atom consists of a massive, positively charged center called the nucleus, around which fly one or more negatively charged electrons.

The nucleus itself contains at least one proton, a positively charged particle. In all atoms except those of ordinary hydrogen, the nucleus also contains at least one neutron, a particle that has no electrical charge. A neutral atom has the same number of electrons as protons, so the electrical charges cancel.

The identity of an atom and its atomic number is determined by the number of protons in its nucleus. For example, there is one proton in the nucleus of a hydrogen atom, so hydrogen has atomic number 1. Oxygen, with eight protons, has atomic number 8; mercury has atomic number 80; and uranium has atomic number 92.

Substances that are composed of only one kind of atom are called elements . Only 92 elements occur naturally on Earth in significant amounts. The lightest is hydrogen; the heaviest is uranium.

The nuclei of a given element all have the same number of protons but may have a differing number of neutrons. For example, about 99.8 percent of the oxygen nuclei in nature contain eight neutrons as well as eight protons. But a very few oxygen nuclei contain nine neutrons, and some even contain 10 neutrons. Each kind of nucleus is a different isotope of oxygen. Each isotope has a different number of neutrons.

Most hydrogen atoms are made up of a single proton with an electron circling it. However, one isotope of hydrogen contains a neutron as well. This isotope is called deuterium. Because neutrons have approximately the same mass as protons, deuterium atoms have about twice as much mass as those of the ordinary isotope of hydrogen. An extremely rare form of hydrogen, called tritium, has one proton and two neutrons in its nucleus. This is an unstable arrangement, so the tritium nucleus is radioactive. Over time it gives off a negatively charged particle and changes to a stable helium nucleus with two protons and one neutron.

Many other isotopes of the various elements are radioactive . They can give off radiation of different kinds, changing to other elements or to different isotopes of the same element. Many radioactive isotopes are man-made, produced in nuclear reactors and particle accelerators .

In addition to the 92 naturally occurring elements, scientists have synthesized more than two dozen others. (Two of these synthesized elements were later found to exist in nature but only in trace amounts.) They are called the transuranium elements because they are all made of atoms that have more mass than the uranium atom. All transuranium elements, therefore, have atomic numbers greater than 92. All of these elements are unstable and decay radioactively; many of them exist for only a fraction of a second.

Substances that are composed of more than one kind of atom are either compounds or mixtures. The atoms in compounds are joined together chemically. In one type of compound, ions (electrically charged atoms or groups of atoms) are held together; in another type of compound, atoms are joined together to form molecules . This chemical bonding is the result of the electrical forces between the ions or the force of attraction of the electrons of one atom for the nucleus of another atom. For example, in one type of bonding two atoms of hydrogen and one atom of oxygen share electrons and form a water molecule. The chemical symbol for water, H 2 O, denotes this combination ( see chemistry ).

The atoms, ions, or molecules in a mixture intermingle with one another but are not joined chemically. Salt water is a kind of mixture called a solution . Salt is composed of ions, and they spread throughout the water when the salt dissolves.

Regardless of whether water is in the solid, liquid, or gaseous state, its molecules always consist of one atom of oxygen and two atoms of hydrogen. Solid water, liquid water, and gaseous water all have the same chemical composition. Instead, the difference between these physical states depends on which energy is larger: the energy associated with the attraction between molecules or the heat energy.

Atomic Theory and the States of Matter

A certain amount of attraction exists between all molecules. If repulsive forces are weaker than these intermolecular attractive forces, the molecules stick together. However, molecules are in constant random motion because of their thermal, or heat, energy. As the temperature of a substance increases, this molecular motion becomes greater. The molecules spread out and are less likely to unite. As the temperature decreases, the motion becomes smaller. The molecules are thus more likely to linger in each other’s vicinity and bind together.

In a solid , the intermolecular attractive forces overcome the disruptive thermal energies of the molecules. In most solids the molecules are bound together in a rigid, orderly arrangement called a crystal. These types of solids are called crystalline solids. (In some other solids, such as glasses, gels, and many plastics, the molecules are not arranged in crystals.) Although the molecules in a crystal are held rigidly in place, they still vibrate because of their thermal energy. It may be difficult to think of ice as having heat energy. But even in ice each water molecule, though held firmly in the crystal pattern, vibrates around a fixed position. This vibrational motion is an expression of the thermal energy of ice.

As the temperature of the solid is increased, its molecules vibrate with greater and greater energies until they gain enough vibrational energy to overcome the intermolecular attractive forces. They then break loose from their fixed positions in the crystal arrangement and move about more or less freely. The substance now assumes the shape of its container but maintains a constant volume. In other words, the substance has melted and is now a liquid.

Melting is a change of state, or a phase change. The temperature at which melting takes place varies from substance to substance. Water and iron, for example, melt at different temperatures. The melting temperature is the same, however, for a given material at a given pressure. At atmospheric pressure water always melts at 32° F (0° C).

Phase changes can work in reverse. If the temperature of a liquid is gradually decreased, a point is eventually reached at which the intermolecular forces are strong enough to bind the molecules despite the disruptive thermal motions. Then a crystal forms: the substance has frozen. The temperature at which this liquid-to-solid phase change takes place is the freezing point. The freezing point of a substance occurs at the same temperature as its melting point.

This theory of matter can also explain the liquid-to-gas change of state, a process called vaporization or evaporation. As heat is applied to a liquid, some molecules gain sufficient thermal energy to overcome the intermolecular attraction—surface tension—exerted by molecules at the surface of the liquid. These high-energy molecules break free from the liquid and move away. Such molecules are now in the gaseous state. As more heat is applied, more molecules gain enough energy to move away until—at a temperature called the boiling point of the liquid—all the molecules can gain enough energy to escape from the liquid state.

The average distance between molecules in the gaseous state is extremely large compared to the size of the molecules, so the intermolecular forces in a gas are quite weak. This explains why a gas fills the entire volume of its container. Since intermolecular forces are so small, a gas molecule moves until it strikes either another gas molecule or the container wall. The net effect of the many molecules striking the container walls is observed as pressure.

Sometimes a substance will pass directly from the solid state to the gaseous state without passing through the liquid state. This process is called sublimation. Dry ice (solid carbon dioxide) sublimates at atmospheric pressure. Liquid carbon dioxide can form if the gas is subjected to over five times atmospheric pressure.

The Fourth State of Matter

At extremely high temperatures atoms may collide with such force that electrons are knocked free from the nuclei. The resulting mixture of free negative and positive particles is not a gas according to the usual definition. Such material is called a plasma . Some scientists consider the plasma state to be a fourth state of matter. Actually, about 99 percent of the known matter in the universe is in the plasma state. In stars matter is hot enough, and in interstellar space it is diffuse enough, for the electrons to be completely separated from the nuclei. From an astronomical standpoint, somewhat unusual conditions exist on Earth, where plasmas are difficult to produce.

Inertia and Gravitation

Another way of approaching the subject of matter is on the basis of the concepts of inertia and gravitation. Matter can be defined as anything that has inertia and that experiences an attractive force when in a gravitational field.

Isaac Newton ’s first law of motion describes inertia. A body at rest tends to remain at rest; a body in motion tends to keep on moving at the same speed and in a straight line. In order to move a resting body or to stop a moving body, some effort, called a force, is required. The tendency of a body to remain at rest or, once moving, to remain in motion is inertia.

The inertia of a body is related to its mass. More massive bodies possess greater inertia than less massive bodies. A body’s mass can be measured by exerting a force on the body and observing the acceleration that results. Newton’s second law of motion states that the mass ( m ) is equal to the force ( F ) divided by the acceleration ( a ): m  =  F / a .

In principle, this measurement can be made anywhere in the universe. Wherever the experiment is performed, the same force applied to the same body produces the same acceleration. The mass of a body is, therefore, the same everywhere. (According to relativity, a moving body’s mass actually increases with its speed, as will be discussed below. However, at all but extremely high speeds—those approaching the speed of light—this change in mass is too tiny to be observed.)

Gravitation

All matter exerts a gravitational attractive force on other matter. The gravitational force is weak compared to the three other known forces—the electromagnetic force, the strong force (which holds the nucleus of an atom together), and the weak force (which is involved in some forms of radioactivity). The magnetic force of a small magnet, for example, can hold up a pin against the gravitational pull of the entire Earth. However, on the scale of everyday objects near Earth or that of astronomical bodies, the gravitational force is the dominant one of the four known forces. The fall of bodies released from a height to the surface of Earth is the most familiar example of gravitation. Earth’s orbit around the Sun and the motion of the Sun are also results of the force of gravitation.

The weight of a body is determined by the gravitational forces exerted upon it. A body at Earth’s surface experiences a gravitational pull toward the center of the planet. If the body moves farther from Earth’s center (to the top of a high mountain, for example), the gravitational force on it decreases, so its weight decreases. If the body moves to a lower point on Earth’s surface (into a deep valley, for example), the gravitational force on it increases, so its weight increases. The increase is far greater if the body then moves to the gravitational field of a giant planet, say, Jupiter. A body’s weight can change; it varies with the strength of the gravitational field in which the body is placed.

It is important to understand the difference between mass and weight. While the mass of a body is the same everywhere, the weight of a body depends upon the strength of the local gravitational field. An astronaut standing on the surface of the Moon weighs less than he does when standing on Earth, but his mass is the same in both places.

However, there is a relationship between mass and weight. Mass and weight are proportional to each other. The more mass a body has, the more it will weigh at any given point in space.

Properties of Matter

Matter can be identified and described on the basis of characteristics called properties. The properties of matter can be grouped into two main categories: physical and chemical.

Physical Properties

Physical properties are characteristics that can be observed or measured without changing the composition of a substance. Mass and volume are examples of physical properties. Measuring the mass or volume of a substance does not change its composition. If a cube of pure iron with a mass of 300 grams was broken into three 100-gram pieces, each smaller piece would still be composed of iron atoms.

Some physical properties are specific for a given substance and can be used to help identify it. These include color, odor, texture, hardness, density, and thermal and electrical conductivity. Most metals , for example, have a high density (a high mass per unit volume). Thermal and electrical conductivity—the ability to conduct heat and electricity—are key physical properties of metals and in fact help distinguish them from nonmetals. Hardness, or how resistant a substance is to scratching, is one of several physical properties used to identify minerals .

Melting point and boiling point are fundamental physical properties of all matter. The melting point of a substance is the temperature at which it changes from a solid to a liquid. Ice (the solid form of water ) melts, or changes from a solid to a liquid, at 32 °F (0 °C). The temperature at which a substance changes from a liquid to a gas is its boiling point. The boiling point of water—the temperature at which liquid water changes to water vapor—is 212 °F (100 °C).

Both melting point and boiling point are properties that indicate a change of the state of matter but not of its composition. A change of state is an example of a physical change; it changes the physical properties of a substance but not its composition. Whether water is in a solid, liquid, or gaseous form, it is still composed of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom.

Chemical Properties

The chemical properties of matter are those characteristics that give it the ability (or inability) to undergo a chemical change—a change in composition. The chemical properties of a substance predict whether a chemical reaction will or will not take place.

Combustibility (how readily a substance can burn) is an example of a chemical property. For example, wood burns readily, forming ash and smoke. The chemical components of wood are also in the ash and smoke that are formed, but they are arranged differently. Since the composition of the wood has been altered, it has undergone a chemical change.

Another chemical property is corrosion , or the ability to rust or tarnish, is another chemical property. When iron is exposed to water, it undergoes a chemical reaction with the oxygen atoms in water, forming a new substance called iron oxide, or rust. Iron oxide contains iron atoms and oxygen atoms and thus has a different composition than either iron (which contains only iron atoms) or water (which contains hydrogen and oxygen atoms).

Modern Theories of Matter

Equivalence of matter and energy.

Albert Einstein ’s theory of special relativity , which considers matter and energy equivalent, greatly extended scientists’ understanding of matter. This theory states that anything having energy has mass and that the amount of a body’s mass ( m ) is related to the amount of its energy ( E ). The exact relationship is given by Einstein’s famous equation, E  =  mc 2 , where c is the speed of light—186,300 miles per second (3  ×  10 8 meters per second).

Scientists had been accustomed to viewing matter and energy as two separate quantities of the universe. But the theory of special relativity relates the two. According to this theory, an object’s mass varies as its speed changes. An object traveling at a high velocity will have a greater mass than the same object traveling at a low velocity. The smallest mass a body can have is the mass it has when it is at rest. This minimum mass is called the body’s rest mass, and it never changes.

Even at speeds that are ordinarily regarded as quite high—the speed of a jet aircraft, for example—the increase in mass from the rest mass is too small to detect. But in high-energy particle accelerators, when a particle travels at speeds near the speed of light, the mass of the particle increases observably.

Centuries of experiments had also led scientists to believe that the amount of matter in the universe never changes. They expressed this concept as the law of the conservation of mass: matter can neither be created nor destroyed. Similar to this law is the law of the conservation of energy, which states that energy can neither be created nor destroyed. One reason Einstein’s theory of relativity was so hard to accept was that it said these laws were wrong, that energy can be converted to matter and that matter can be converted to energy. Experimental observations have since confirmed this fact.

The conversion of matter to energy can be demonstrated in nuclear reactions . The masses of individual protons and neutrons are frequently measured in atomic mass units (amu). One amu is 1 / 12 of the mass of an atom of carbon-12 (the most common form of carbon). The mass of a free proton is 1.007277 amu. The mass of a free neutron is slightly larger: 1.008665 amu. When two protons and two neutrons join to form a helium nucleus, one might expect that the mass of the helium nucleus would be equal to the sum of the masses of two protons and two neutrons, or 4.0319 amu. But experiments show that a helium nucleus has a mass of 4.0017 amu, or 0.0302 less than their sum. Scientists theorized that the missing 0.0302 amu had been converted to energy.

The helium nucleus has less energy than its isolated components. That energy difference contributes to the stability of the helium nucleus and is called its binding energy. The exact amount of energy that was given up in forming the helium nucleus must be supplied to break it up, that is, to overcome the binding energy. Scientists have learned how to convert between values for mass and values for energy. Thus, 1 amu is equal to 931 MeV (million electron volts), or 1.49  ×  10 –3 ergs.

Matter changes to energy in chemical reactions, when atoms or molecules are formed, as well as in nuclear reactions. For example, when a hydrogen atom is formed by the combination of a proton and an electron, the mass of the resulting hydrogen atom is less than the sum of the masses of the isolated electron and proton. In this case, however, the mass lost is tiny—only about 2.4  × 10 –32 grams, or 1.5  ×  10 –8 amu. For this reason, the loss of matter during chemical reactions is not observed.

Experiments have convinced scientists that mass and energy are equivalent and interchangeable. The laws of the conservation of mass and the conservation of energy have therefore been combined into a single law, the law of the conservation of mass-energy. This states that the sum of the mass and the energy in the universe is a constant. Transformations between mass and energy are governed by the equation E  =  mc 2 .

The Mass of Radiation

Like all types of electromagnetic radiation , light is a form of energy. At the beginning of the 20th century, light was thought to consist of electromagnetic waves. But in 1905 Einstein pointed out that light often behaves as if it were made up of particles rather than waves. For example, in the photoelectric effect, light behaves as if a series of light particles strikes the electrons of a metal. Such particles of electromagnetic radiation are called photons.

According to the theory of relativity , since light has energy, it should also have mass. Although a photon has a mass of zero when (theoretically) at rest, the mass of a moving photon can be calculated from Einstein’s equation. It is very small, around 10 –33 grams for a photon of visible light. But if light has mass, it should respond to gravitational forces. Indeed, when light from a star must pass near the Sun to reach Earth, the beam deviates from the straight path that it follows when the Sun is not between the star and Earth. This is believed to happen because the Sun’s huge gravitational field attracts the mass of the light photons strongly enough to bend the beam. The effect is very small, which is why a body as massive as the Sun is needed to observe it.

This development presented a great dilemma, for it seemed to indicate that light behaves as a particle. However, it had long been known that light produces what are called diffraction and interference patterns , which are exclusively characteristic of waves. Was light, then, to be considered a wave or a particle?

The answer is both, according to modern physics. The particle aspects and the wave aspects of light complement each other. Both are necessary for a complete understanding of light. However, it is impossible to measure both the particle and wave aspects of light at the same time. Which of the two aspects is observed depends on the particular phenomenon that is being studied. Diffraction is an example of wave behavior, while the photoelectric effect is an example of particle behavior.

Wave Properties of Matter

In 1923, about two decades after the discovery that what had been regarded as waves exhibited properties of particles, Louis de Broglie advanced the hypothesis that the converse might also be true. He theorized that what had been regarded as particles might exhibit the properties of waves. Four years later “matter waves” were actually observed.

Beams of electrons were aimed at crystals, and their patterns of deflection and scattering were observed. These patterns looked as if they had been formed by the deflection of waves, supporting the theory that electrons could act like waves. In other experiments, diffraction patterns were observed. Like light, matter has properties of both particles and waves.

Electron waves are used to great advantage in the electron microscope . Because the waves are much shorter than light waves or even ultraviolet waves, the electron microscope has a much greater resolving power than light microscopes. Electron microscopes show much more detail than do light microscopes.

The Building Blocks of Matter

All matter is made up of elementary particles . Atoms are not elementary particles since they are themselves composed of smaller particles—electrons, protons, and neutrons. Some particles, such as photons, commonly exist apart from atoms.

As scientists developed methods for studying radioactive particles, for breaking atoms apart, and for detecting particles from space (cosmic rays), they concluded that there must exist other particles in addition to the photon, electron, proton, and neutron. In the early 1930s Wolfgang Pauli and Enrico Fermi postulated the neutrino, a particle with no charge and either very little or no mass, which interacts much more weakly with matter than a photon does. They held that only the existence of such a particle could account for the energy and momentum that is lost when a neutron in a nucleus decays into a proton and a free electron, a process called beta decay. Particles with the characteristics postulated by Pauli and Fermi were very difficult to detect, but experiments performed in 1956 confirmed their existence.

Since then, hundreds of different particles have been detected as a result of collisions produced in cosmic-ray reactions and particle-accelerator experiments. They are called subatomic particles because they are smaller than an atom. Most of these particles are highly unstable, existing for less than a millionth of a second. There are three different types of subatomic particle: leptons, quarks, and bosons. Leptons and quarks together form atoms, so they are considered the basic building blocks of matter. The six known types of leptons are the electron, the muon, the tau, and the three types of neutrino. There are also six types of quark . Quarks make up neutrons and protons. Bosons include the photon (seen as light), the graviton, and the gluon. The graviton is a theoretical particle that has not yet been discovered. If it exists, the graviton carries the gravitational force, just as the photon carries the electromagnetic force and the gluon carries the strong force.

In 1928 P.A.M. Dirac claimed that a particle of the same mass as an electron but having a positive charge could exist. Four years later a positive electron, or positron, was detected. This was the first experimental evidence for the existence of antimatter. If a particle possesses an electrical charge, its antiparticle possesses an equal but opposite charge. Many other kinds of antimatter particles have since been discovered. Particle physicists now assume that for every subatomic particle that occurs in nature a corresponding antiparticle exists, even if the antiparticle has not been observed. An antiparticle may be discovered years after its corresponding particle. Scientists have also created antiatoms, which are made up of antiparticles.

An important property of matter is demonstrated when an electron and a positron meet. They annihilate one another. Both particles disappear. The law of conservation of mass-energy states that if mass is destroyed an equivalent amount of energy must be created, so that the sum of mass-energy before and after annihilation are exactly equal.

This is precisely what happens. When an electron and a positron annihilate each other, a large amount of energy, corresponding to the mass of the two particles, is always given off. Similar annihilations occur when other particles meet their antiparticles.

A converse to the process of particle-antiparticle annihilation is known as pair production, in which radiation disappears and matter is created. The most common example is the creation of an electron-positron pair from a photon. For this to occur, a minimum photon energy, corresponding to two electron masses, is necessary.

The Milky Way galaxy, to which Earth belongs, is apparently composed primarily of particles rather than antiparticles. It obviously cannot be made up of equal amounts of particles and antiparticles, for if it were there would be a cataclysmic annihilation and the matter in the galaxy would be converted to radiation. There is also no evidence that other galaxies in the universe are composed primarily of antiparticles. Matter apparently dominates antimatter in the universe.

String Theory

Relativity is essential for studying the universe on a large scale, when extremely high speeds or great densities are involved, and for understanding gravity. On the other hand, the branch of physics known as quantum mechanics studies matter and energy at the smallest scales, including subatomic particles and processes. It has been difficult to fully join the two into one unified framework of physics. In an attempt to develop a unified theory, many physicists have turned to string theory. According to this theory, elementary particles are not dimensionless points but tiny one-dimensional stringlike objects. Although these “strings” are so small that they appear to be points, they actually have a tiny length. If 1 billion trillion trillion of them were laid end to end they would together be only about 0.4 inch (1 centimeter) long.

According to string theory, these strings make up all matter, and they vibrate. The particular pattern of a string’s vibrations corresponds to a particular type of particle. The strings that form electrons all have one vibrational pattern, for instance, while those that form quarks have a different pattern, and photons yet another.

In string theory, the universe is made up of more than the three dimensions of space and the one dimension of time that we observe. Instead, in most versions of the theory there are 11 dimensions (10 of space and one of time). The extra dimensions are curled up so as to be imperceptible.

String theory was first developed in the 1970s to describe the strong force. The theory became popular in the 1980s when it was shown that it might be a way to incorporate all types of matter and all four known forces, including gravity, into one framework. Such a comprehensive physical theory is known as a unified field theory or a “theory of everything.”

Although the mathematics of string theory has shown great promise, the theory has not yet been verified by experiment. Strings, if they exist, are extremely tiny. Physicists hope that the latest generation of particle accelerators will be able to detect such small objects. They are also seeking other ways to confirm string theory. In the meantime, it remains a totally theoretical construct.

Additional Reading

Bradley, David, and Crofton, Ian. Atoms and Elements (Oxford Univ. Press, 2002). Cooper, Christopher. Matter (DK, 2000). Silverstein, Alvin, and others. Matter (Twenty-First Century, 2009).

( See also bibliographies for chemistry ; energy ; physics .)

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States of Matter

States of Matter introduces students to the three forms that virtually all matter comes in: solids, liquids, and gases. Students will be able to list the characteristics of all three. They will also be able to identify examples of each.

The “Options for Lesson” section of the classroom procedure page lists a few more suggestions for either additional activities or things you could alter in the worksheets. One idea is to take students outdoors or into other rooms in the school to identify items that are solids, liquids, and gases.

Description

Additional information, what our states of matter lesson plan includes.

Lesson Objectives and Overview: States of Matter teaches students how to define and identify the three main states in which matter exists. Students will discuss solids, liquids, and gases and be able to list the traits and properties of each category. This lesson is for students in 1st grade, 2nd grade, and 3rd grade.

Classroom Procedure

Every lesson plan provides you with a classroom procedure page that outlines a step-by-step guide to follow. You do not have to follow the guide exactly. The guide helps you organize the lesson and details when to hand out worksheets. It also lists information in the yellow box that you might find useful. You will find the lesson objectives, state standards, and number of class sessions the lesson should take to complete in this area. In addition, it describes the supplies you will need as well as what and how you need to prepare beforehand. This lesson requires some prep work on your part. Prepare four samples each of solids, liquids, and gases (numbered 1 through 12) for students to use during the activity.

Options for Lesson

There are several suggestions in the “Options for Lesson” section that you might want to take advantage of. For the activity, students could work alone, but you will need to provide more samples if you choose to allow this. Another suggestion is to take students outdoors or into other rooms in the school to identify objects in the three different states of matter. You could also include other bible passages for students to read to discover examples of solids, liquids, or gases. The words solid , liquid , and gas are not used in the bible. You could discuss this with the students.

Teacher Notes

The paragraph on this page provides a little extra information on what you can expect from the lesson. You could also teach this lesson at the same time as or before a lesson photosynthesis. Use the lines to write out your thoughts as you prepare.

STATES OF MATTER LESSON PLAN CONTENT PAGES

What is matter.

The States of Matter lesson plan has two pages of content. It begins by stating that God created everything, including humans. He did not name everything, though. Instead, He gave the power to name things to the people He created. So mankind gave a specific name to all of God’s other creations.

Scientists have done the same thing with the things God created. The general term that encompasses everything in the universe is matter . To clarify this point, the lesson explains that the students take up space. Their desks take up space. Water and air do too. Everything that takes up space was created by God and is called matter. Therefore, matter is all around us.

Some matter we can hold in our hands. But there are other things, like air, that we can’t hold. God is responsible for all the matter in the universe, whether it exists on earth or somewhere else in space. He is, therefore, the source of all matter. And all matter comes in three main forms: solid, liquid, or gas.

Solids, Liquids, and Gases

Solid matter has a definite shape. A solid can be hard, smooth, rough, or soft. It can come in all different sizes, and people can usually hold it. Examples of solids include desks, chairs, mountains, bread, windows, tissues, paper, cars, pencils, ice cubes, phones, and clothes.

Liquids, on the other hand, do not have a definite shape. A liquid will take the shape of the container it’s in, and it will first fill the bottom of the container. Liquids usually have a smooth surface and no specific size. Water, milk, orange juice, chocolate syrup, soda, cough medicine, vinegar, and cleaning fluids are all examples of liquids.

The last state of matter is gas. Gases are often totally invisible, and we cannot necessarily feel them. They have no shape or regular size. Gases can fill any-sized container. And they have no surface and move easily. Some examples include oxygen in the air, propane gas for a grill, helium in a balloon, fumes from a car, and the gas from an oven.

Matter in the Bible

Students will learn that it’s hard to move through a solid, easier to move through a liquid, and easiest to move through a gas. However, one person could do things with solids, liquids, and gases, that humans cannot do.

People cannot normally walk on things that aren’t solid. However, in Matthew 14:25–30, Jesus walked on water toward His disciples in a boat. He called to the disciple Peter who started walking on water too because of his faith in Jesus. As soon as he lost faith and began to fear, however, Peter lost the ability to stand on water. Jesus came to his rescue.

Walking on water, or any other liquid for that matter, would require strong faith in Christ. Jesus said that with faith the “size of a mustard seed”—a tiny solid!—we could move mountains. God wants people to have faith in Him and trust Him to guide them in their lives. When we fall, He will always be there to help us.

Changing States

Some substances are found as solids, liquids, or gases. There are examples of each in the previous paragraphs that students could find. Water is a liquid. But water, when it freezes, becomes a solid (ice). And when we heat it up and boil it, it turns into a gas we call water vapor.

Students will realize, then, that some substances can be found in more than one state even though it’s the same substance. On a hot summer day, we might want to enjoy an ice cream cone. That ice cream can start out pretty solid, but the high temperature causes it to slowly (or even quickly) melt, turning it into a liquid.

A mothball is another example of one of these substances. Mothballs are a solid and keep clothes fresh, but they release a gas into the air. We can even sometimes smell a mothball from the opposite side of a room. One more example is a cookie or cake. In a bakery, the cakes and cookies are solid, but the aroma we smell is a gas.

STATES OF MATTER LESSON PLAN WORKSHEETS

The States of Matter lesson plan includes four worksheets: an activity worksheet, two practice worksheets, and a homework assignment. Each one of these handouts will help students demonstrate their knowledge and will reinforce what they learned throughout the lesson. Use the guidelines on the classroom procedure page to determine when to give students each worksheet.

OBSERVATION ACTIVITY WORKSHEET

Students will work with a partner for the activity. They will record information about 12 different items. The information they should include are things like size, shape, texture, and so on. The chart on the worksheet asks them to write which state of matter the item is in, the description, and why they chose that state of matter.

SOLID, LIQUID, OR GAS PRACTICE WORKSHEET

For this practice worksheet, students will read through 17 sentences that describe a state of matter. Some of the descriptions apply to more than one state. Students should include both states in those cases.

GENESIS PRACTICE WORKSHEET

The second practice worksheet requires students to read through the first 31 verses of the first chapter of the Book of Genesis. A chart on the worksheet page lists several things that the verses mention, such as earth, land, seas, fruit, air, and so on. Students will mark an X in the columns for solid, liquid, or gas when it relates to the given thing. For instance, Earth comprises all three types of matter, so students should mark an X in all three columns. The final column asks students to explain why they chose the states of matter that they did for each thing.

STATES OF MATTER HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT

For the homework assignment, students will work with a parent or older sibling. They will walk through their home and write down examples of solids, liquids, and gases. Then they will look at a chart that lists six items. Students will mark an X in the column for the state of matter of that item. Then they will describe how they can use that item for God’s glory.

Worksheet Answer Keys

There are answer keys for the two practice worksheets and the homework assignment. Correct answers are in red so that it’s easier for you to compare them with students’ work. Some of the prompts are objective, so studnets’ answers can vary. If you choose to administer the lesson pages to your students via PDF, you will need to save a new file that omits these pages. Otherwise, you can simply print out the applicable pages and keep these as reference for yourself when grading assignments.

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States of Matter Introduction: Simple Hands-On Activity

This simple activity is a nice introduction or warm-up to the topic of states of matter..

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In this activity, students differentiate between a gas, a solid, and a liquid. The activity serves as a quick assessment of which students have some background knowledge about the states of matter.

For each student:

• 3 small plastic bottles of equal size
• water 
• 1 small marble
• a bowl or tub to contain the items

Preparation

For each student prepare the following:

• Fill up 1 small water bottle about 1/2 way with water 
• Cap a 2nd small water bottle shut without adding anything to it. 
• Place the marble in a 3rd small water bottle.

Gather the materials for this lab and place each of the states of matter in a bowl for each student as the class enters the room.

• Students will enter the room and discover the bowl with the 3 water bottles.
• Explain to the class that they will be learning about a new topic: the states of matter.
• Ask students to shake the bottles and to think about what state of matter describes the substances inside of each bottle.  
• Have students place the states of matter (the bottles) on the table in from of them from solid on the left, to liquid (in the middle) to gas (on the right).
• In this manner, you will be able to assess which students already have prior knowledge of this content. 
• The lesson should proceed with a discussion of the states of matter using the textbook or the Three basic states of matter activity .

The APH product Basic Science Tactile Graphics i ncludes tactile graphics of the states of matter.  

When I did this activity originally, the solid material (a marble or washer) was not in a bottle. 

For students with hearing impairment, the water should be poured out of the bottle and the marble should be also taken out of the bottle.  

NGSS Standards

2nd Grade 

PS1.A: Structure and Properties of Matter Different kinds of matter exist and many of them can be either solid or liquid, depending on temperature. Matter can be described and classified by its observable properties. (2-PS1-1)

By Laura Hospitál

Return to  Accessible Science main page .

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Examples of Matter

Can you name examples of matter ? It’s easy, once you understand what matter is (and is not). Matter is anything that has mass and takes up space. Any object you can touch, taste, or smell is an example of matter.

Elements and compounds are pure forms of matter . All living things are examples of matter. So are non-living things and man-made objects. Matter exists as solids, liquids, and gases and can change forms .

• Vegetable oil

How to Tell Matter and Non Matter Apart

You observe many things which are not matter . This is because matter can be converted into energy, which does not have mass or volume. Light, heat, sound, emotions, and rainbows are not matter. Some objects consist of both matter and energy, like the Sun. You can’t rely on the senses of sight and hearing to detect matter. But, if you can weigh, touch, taste, or smell something, then it is an example of matter.

• de Podesta, M. (2002).  Understanding the Properties of Matter  (2nd ed.). CRC Press. ISBN 978-0-415-25788-6.

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Animation Activity: Building Blocks of Matter Mark as Favorite (9 Favorites)

ACTIVITY in Atoms , Model of the Atom , Atomic Theory . Last updated December 12, 2023.

In this activity, students will view an animation that explores the idea that everything is made of atoms, and that since atoms are so extremely small, even small objects contain vast numbers of atoms. They will see several examples to illustrate this point. Then they will be given a brief overview of the evolution of how people thought about atoms from the ancient Greeks through Dalton.

Grade Level

Middle School, High School

By the end of this activity, students should be able to:

• Identify that all matter is made of one or more of the 118 types of atoms listed on the periodic table.
• Begin to understand how small atoms are, and how many of them are in even small objects.
• Explain some of the ways different people have thought about matter throughout history.

Chemistry Topics

This activity supports students’ understanding of:

• Atomic scale
• History of the atom

Teacher Preparation: minimal Lesson: 10-30 minutes

• Computer and projector with internet access
• https://teachchemistry.org/classroom-resources/atoms-the-building-blocks-of-matter
• Student handout
• No specific safety precautions need to be observed for this activity.

Teacher Notes

• All of the animations that make up the AACT Animation collection are designed for teachers to incorporate into their classroom lessons. Intentionally, these animations do not have any spoken explanations so that a teacher can speak while the animation is playing and stop the animation as needed to instruct.
• If you assign this to students outside of class time, you can create a Student Pass that will allow students to view the animation (or any other video or ChemMatters article on the AACT website ).
• We suggest that a teacher pause this animation at several points, including when questions are posed before the answers are revealed, or watch it more than once to give students the opportunity to make notes, ask questions, and test their understanding of the concepts presented. The student activity sheet can help activate students’ prior knowledge, guide them through the animation, and provide a chance for after-viewing reflection and optional extension questions.
• This animation was designed primarily with a middle school audience in mind, but it could also be used in an introductory high school chemistry course. It does not address ideas in modern atomic theory beyond Dalton’s “Billiard Ball Model” from the early 1800s (so no subatomic particles are mentioned), but it could be used to introduce a unit on atomic theory. With this in mind, more advanced ideas such as dark matter and dark energy are not addressed when discussing the makeup of the universe.
• To dig deeper into scale, there is a really cool resource, developed by high school students, called The Scale of the Universe , which allows you to zoom in and out to the smallest and biggest things in the universe – all the way into a string theory string and all the way out to the entire observable universe itself! It includes measurements and informational blurbs on objects at various size levels. My students have loved exploring it. It is also available as an iOS app .
• It is important to note that Greek philosophers were not experimentalists – they thought a lot about their natural world but did not often use the scientific method to test their ideas out. You could discuss the important role of the scientific method, repeating/verifying experiments, and peer review in the modern scientific process.
• Be sure that your students understand the difference between the ancient Greek notion of “atoms” and the modern understanding. While both propose that atoms are indivisible, we now know that atoms are not unique to each type of substance (ex: there are no “stone atoms”) instead there are 118 elements that combine in different ways to create all the different substances. (So in this sense, the Greek concept of atoms might be likened to the modern-day molecule – the smallest unit of something that retains that substance’s properties. It can be broken apart further into its component atoms, but not without changing the substance.)
• The image used for carbon dioxide is dry ice – students may be more familiar with carbon dioxide as an invisible gas, so seeing carbon dioxide in this form might need some explaining.
• There are now 118 elements on the periodic table – we do not distinguish between naturally occurring and synthetic elements. However, if you wish to discuss this with students, you can talk about the first 92 elements occur naturally (except technetium, #43!) and elements after atomic number 92 are produced in laboratories (although a few were found in very, very small quantities in nature after being synthesized).
• Simulation Activity: Building an Atom
• Unit Plan: The Periodic Table Unit Plan
• Lesson Plan: Modeling Atomic Theories with Food
• Lesson Plan: Acting Out Atomic Structure
• Activity: Atomic Structure RAFT
• Project: Elemental Art: A Visual Periodic Table

For the Student

As you view the animation, answer the questions below.

• How many atoms are in a single drop of water?
• How many years would it take if you counted the atoms in a single drop of water at a rate of 1,000,000 per second?
• About how many atoms are in a single cell?
• If every atom in a penny were the size of a tennis ball, what would the diameter of that penny be? What would its thickness be?
• What were two early ideas about matter suggested by the ancient Greeks?
• How do we think about matter now?
• How many different kinds of atoms have been discovered?
• True or False: Water is one of the elements on the periodic table.
• About a thousand
• More than a billion
• True or False: All matter is made up of one or more of the 118 types of atoms listed on the periodic table.
• The animation claimed that there are 5 sextillion, or 5,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 (5 x 10 21 ) atoms in a single drop of water. Assume there are 20 drops of water in one milliliter. Show calculations going from 1 drop of water to atoms. (Hint: How can you go from milliliters to numbers of atoms? How many atoms are in one molecule of water?)
• The animation claimed that if the atoms in a penny were the size of tennis balls, the penny would cover the distance between New York and Dublin, Ireland, or about 4900 km. Assume that the atoms in a penny are about 2.6 x 10 –10 m in diameter, and 1 atom = 1 tennis ball. Show calculations going from 1 penny to kilometers. (Hint: How big is a penny? A tennis ball?)
• Research a historical non-scientist public figure (think artists, authors, religious leaders, politicians, activists, etc.) who influenced the trajectory of science in the 20 th century. What was this public figure known for? What did they do or say that impacted the scientific community? Do you think they made a positive or negative change in society? Cite all sources appropriately.

• States of Matter
• Properties Of Matter

Properties of Matter

What is matter.

Matter is any substance that has mass and takes up space by having volume.

Matter is described as something that has mass and occupies space. All physical structures are made up of matter, and the state or process of matter is an easily observed property of matter. Strong, liquid, and gas are the three basic states of matter.

Everything that exists is made up of matter. Atoms and substances are made up of minuscule pieces of matter. The atoms that make up the objects we see and touch every day are made up of matter. All that has mass and occupies space has volume is known as matter. The amount of matter in an object is measured by its mass.

Table of Contents

Recommended videos, physical properties of matter, intensive and extensive properties of matter, chemical properties of matter, frequently asked questions – faqs.

• Matter is made up of tiny particles called atoms and can be represented or explained as something that takes up space. It must display both the mass and volume properties.
• Properties are the characteristics that enable us to differentiate one material from another. A physical property is an attribute of matter that is independent of its chemical composition. 
• Density, colour, hardness, melting and boiling points, and electrical conductivity are all examples of physical properties. 
• Any characteristic that can be measured, such as an object’s density, colour, mass, volume, length, malleability, melting point, hardness, odour, temperature, and more, are considered properties of matter.

Both the physical and chemical properties of matter are either extensive or intensive. Extensive properties including mass and volume are proportional to the amount of matter being weighed. Density and colour, for example, are not affected by the amount of matter present.

• Intensive properties of matter – An intensive property is a bulk property, which means it is a system’s local physical property that is independent of the system’s size or volume of material. Intensive properties are those that are independent of the amount of matter present. Pressure and temperature, for example, are intensive properties.
• Extensive property of matter – A property that is dependent on the amount of matter in a sample is known as an extensive property. Extensive properties include mass and volume. The scale of the system or the volume of matter in it determines the extensive property of the system. Extensive properties are those in which the value of a system’s property is equal to the sum of the values for the parts of the system.

Chemical properties are characteristics that can only be measured or observed as matter transforms into a particular type of matter. Reactivity, flammability, and the ability to rust are among them. The tendency of matter to react chemically with other substances is known as reactivity. Flammability, toxicity, acidity, the reactivity of various types, and heat of combustion are examples of chemical properties.

• Reactivity – The tendency of matter to combine chemically with other substances is known as reactivity. Certain materials are highly reactive, whereas others are extremely inactive. Potassium, for example, is extremely reactive, even in the presence of water. A pea-sized piece of potassium reacts explosively when combined with a small volume of water.
• Flammability – The tendency of matter to burn is referred to as flammability. As matter burns, it reacts with oxygen and transforms into various substances. A flammable matter is anything like wood.
• Toxicity – Toxicity refers to the extent to which a chemical element or a combination of chemicals may harm an organism.
• Acidity – A substance’s ability to react with an acid is a chemical property. Some metals form compounds when they react with different acids. Acids react with bases to create water, which neutralizes the acid.

Chemical properties are extremely helpful when it comes to distinguishing compounds. Chemical properties, on the other hand, can only be detected when a material is in the process of being changed into another substance.

Related Topics

• Three States of Matter
• Matter in Our Surroundings
• Characteristics of Matter

Why are properties of matter important?

Scientists need to understand the properties of matter because it is made up of it. Solid, liquid, and gas are the three primary phases of matter. Depending on their physical features, most matter will exist in any of these states. More specifically, scientists deal with a wide range of materials.

What are the four properties of matter?

Mass, weight, and volume are examples of extensive properties that differ from the sum of the material. Colour, melting point, boiling point, electrical conductivity, and physical condition at a given temperature are examples of intensive properties that are independent of the volume of the material.

What is texture in the properties of matter?

Volume is a physical property of matter that can be measured quantitatively. Texture refers to how something feels to you when you touch it. Soft, smooth, rough, bumpy, silky, sticky, and chalky are some of the textures that objects can have. The texture of an object is determined by our sense of touch.

Can density be a property of matter?

Density is a physical property of matter that reflects the mass-to-volume relationship. The more mass an object has in a given amount of space, the denser it is. Density measurements are useful for distinguishing substances since different substances have different densities.

What are the observable properties of matter?

Observable properties are features or aspects of materials or artifacts that we can describe using our five senses. We can use our senses to assess colour, texture, hardness, and flexibility.

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Chemistry Unit 2: Properties of Matter Homework Pages

These high school chemistry worksheets are full of pictures, diagrams, and deeper questions covering states of matter, properties of matter, physical and chemical changes, reading chemical formulas and chemical symbols, and conservation of mass. This unit is designed to help students build up the basic vocabulary they will use all year to help them describe chemical compounds and their properties and how they change during chemical reactions.

This unit contains these pages:

1 and 2. Physical and Chemical Changes

3. Properties of Matter

4. Illustrate the Property

5. Mixtures and Pure Substances (Venn Diagram)

6. Mixtures and Separations

7. States of Matter

8. Substances on the Molecular Level

9. Conservation of Mass

10. Intro to Periodic Table

11. Reading Chemical Formulas

Each page will be unique. Each is designed to roughly cover the material that I would teach in an hour long class period. These are terrific for daily homework assignments because they don’t take too long to complete.

These pages have been carefully designed in Illustrator. I have created a unique set of questions to help students to review material taught in class and think deeper about the material. Many of the pages ask students to highlight or color something, to identify items in a diagram, to match related concepts, or interact with a topic in a new way. Many of the pages ask students to connect more than one concept; they are intended to help students see the bigger picture in each unit. A few pages ask students to use the internet to do a little research.

If you own any of my other resources, don’t worry about repeat pages. These homework pages are truly unique and separate from my activities. These homework pages will truly complement any activities or resources you already have or use in your class.

Homework Page Implementation Suggestions:

* First of all, I don’t grade it. I learned in my early teaching years that when I grade homework, I am rewarding students who copied off of their one studious friend the period before my class, and I am penalizing students who have limited educational time outside of school. I often give time at the end of the period to work on “homework” pages. Often, I start off the next day’s class with the answer key projected onto some sort of screen (ELMO or projector) so that students can check their answers as they walk in. My students know that they will do better in my class if they do the homework and I care about effort more than being correct.

* Answer keys are included (for almost all of the pages, where it makes sense to have an answer key). I designed these pages to be pretty simple to grade, if you want to do that.

* In my time as a teacher, I have noticed that for some reason, homework assignments that have more than one side of a page are just neglected by students. If I hand out a one sided homework page and tell them, here’s your homework, they say, yay, it’s just 1 page! They will often at least start it if not finish it before the end of the day. I really think there is a psychological barrier to starting an assignment with two sides. Call me crazy, but test it out! Try giving my homework assignments and watch your class actually do their homework!

* A way to save paper would be to print all of the homework assignments and copy them as a packet. This is great to give students all at once in the beginning of the unit, so they have every page in advance, which works great if they’re absent!

All files are non-editable PDFs. They are non-editable to protect the images that are copyrighted and purchased through licenses. Thanks for understanding!

(C) Bethany Lau

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