States of Matter - Heart of Wisdom

An Internet Linked Unit StudyStates of MatterStep 1 ExciteA very comforting and strong verse of scripture tells us that “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday,today, and forever”(Hebrews 13:8). It is so wonderful to know that God is not jumping back andforth between several different opinions. We can rest assured that He is ever consistent andtruthful.His creation, however, has the ability to change. In particular, elements and compounds canmove in and out of different states of matter when certain physical forces are present. Take ashort pop quiz on the subject.Q #1: How many states of matter are there?Q #2: What condition could change the characteristics of any state of matter?Q #3: Are changes in matter physical or chemical?How are you doing so far? Maybe we should explore the subject before taking an exam. Get yourpens ready to take down a few notes. Remember, you'll have activities to complete when thislesson is over.Step 2 ExamineIf you answered “three” to the first question in Step 1, you'd be almost right….but not quite.Years ago, it was taught that there were only three states of matter: Solids, liquids, andgases. But now, most scientists recognize a fourth state of matter: Plasma. We will examineall four states in this lesson.First, let's state the definition of matter: simply put, it is anything that has mass and takesup space.In this lesson, phase is an interchangeable word for state. When an element or compoundchanges phases, the change will always be a physical change; it will not be chemical.Remember that in order for a chemical change to take place, the element would have tobecome something completely new. When the state, or phase, of matter is changed, the substanceremains the same thing, but in a different physical form. For example, if you were toboil a pot of water, you would see steam or water vapor over the pot; that steam or vapor iswater in a gaseous form. That same vapor can condense and become drops of water; now wehave a liquid phase. What if we collect some of those drops of water and put them in thefreezer? Obviously, they will become ice, but really, all you have is water in a solid form.Steam, drops of water, and ice are all the same thing—but in different forms or phases. TheResources recommended in d several lessons, h other HOW Units. k Key Resource (see beginning of unit).© Heart of Wisdom Publishing 53

Energychange was physical, not chemical. A chemical change takes place only when you alter thebasic chemical structure of the compound. This does not happen when moving from one stateof matter to another.Probably the most common way a phase changes is when temperature is increased ordecreased. Identifying states of matter can be tricky; they are not always absolute. For example,the atomic structure in glass actually looks more like a liquid than a solid. Let's examinefor a moment the four individual states.Solids are characterized by a fixed volume and shape. That's because atoms and molecules ina solid are closed into a specific place. The atoms still spin and the electrons still movearound the nucleus, but the entire atoms don't move around. Normally, solids will use theleast amount of energy. Think of it this way: If you're sitting still, you are not exerting muchenergy. Solids are “sitting still” in a way, while gases and liquids are moving around. Liquidsand gases are exerting more energy.Liquids are characterized by a fixed volume without a fixed shape. What does that mean? Youcould take a half cup of water and pour it into many different containers. If each containerhas a different shape, the water will take on each specific shape. So, that same amount ofwater could be the shape of a soda bottle, the shape of a mason jar, and the shape of an oldshoe. The liquid will take on the shape of any object into which it is poured. There is a temperaturefor every substance that is called the melting point. When a solid reaches the meltingpoint, it becomes a liquid. Likewise, when a liquid reaches what is called the freezingpoint, it becomes a solid.Liquids are in the “middle” of gases and solids. Just as a solid can be melted to become a liquid,gases can become liquids as well. Gases have very high-energy atoms, and in order tobecome a liquid, they must lose some energy. The best way to turn a gas into a liquid is tolower the surrounding temperature. As the atoms begin to lose energy, they will eventuallyreach what is called the condensation point, which is the temperature at which a gasbecomes a liquid. But the possibilities do not stop here. Liquids can also become gases; oneway this can occur is simply through something called evaporation. This can happen to allliquids at room temperature. The measurable energy of an atom is really just the averageenergy level. There are always some molecules that have much more energy than the averageand it is those molecules that build up enough energy or power to “escape” from the liquidstate and become a gas. When that happens, those molecules have evaporated.Gases are characterized by having neither a fixed volume nor a fixed shape. Gases, like air,are everywhere. As stated before, atoms in solids have the least amount of energy. Atoms ingases are the most energetic of all. For a liquid to become a gas, energy must be added. Aneasy example of this is to boil water. You can actually see the energy as the water begins toshow signs of movement. Boiling water will put off steam or vapors, which is now gas.Underlined text refers to Internet link54

An Internet Linked Unit StudyThere is one last state of matter that we call plasma. Plasma only exists at very high temperaturesor at very low pressures. Unlike the first three phases we examined, the phase ofplasma does not happen in our common environment. Scientists consider plasmas to be veryunique. They are similar to gases, but are actually very different. The northern lights are oneexample of plasma. Stars and neon signs are other examples of plasmas. Plasma is also aterm used when talking about your blood. Do you know what your blood plasma is?Examine states of matter. Use any resource (an encyclopedia, reference book, or theInternet). We recommend the following:BooksThe Usborne Internet-linked Science Encyclopedia k hBCRead “Solids, Liquids and Gasses” (16-17), “Changes of State” (18-19),“How Liquid Behaves” (20-21), “How Gasses Behave” (22-23).The New Way Things Work k hBCRead “Exploiting Heat” (142-163).How Science Works (Readers Digest) k hBCRead: “What is Matter?” (14-25).Why Can’t You Unscramble an Egg? dBCRead: “Why Does an Ice Cube Float?” (14-17).BInvestigating Solids, Liquids, and Gases with Toys by Jerry L. SarquisDescription: Twenty-four creative, teacher-tested experiments entice studentsin grades 6 through 8 to explore firsthand the properties of the three states ofmatter—and the concepts of the changes of state between them—using toys andother everyday materials. While learning about the properties of solid, liquid, andgas, students will attempt to get a balloon into a bottle, watch a marshmallowexpand and contract inside a syringe, boil water with ice, and much more.Developed with funding from the National Science Foundation, these ready-to-use,reproducible activities are designed to meet—and are clearly referenced to—theNational Standards for Science Education. Paperback - 283 pages (1997). Readinglevel: Ages 9-12.Resources recommended in d several lessons, h other HOW Units. k Key Resource (see beginning of unit).© Heart of Wisdom Publishing 55

EnergyInternet SourcesBrainPop: The States of MatterICDescription: Watch a movie about the states of matter. Play the interactivequiz and do an experiment with Bob the lab rat.http://brainpop.com/science/matter/statesofmatter/index.wemlStates of Matter LessonICDescription: Lesson discusses states of matter and then sorts body partsaccording to these states. Includes activity worksheets for younger and older students.http://www.thursdaysclassroom.com/13jul00/teachmatter.htmlPhases of MatterICDescription: This site covers the four phases of matter as defined usingthe kinetic theory of matter.http://pc65.frontier.osrhe.edu/hs/science/pphase.htmThe Four States of MatterICDescription: Slide show explaining the three common states of matterthat we are familiar with, plus the less-familiar plasma.http://fusioned.gat.com/SlideShowFolder/FourStates.htmlThe States of MatterICDescription: Explanation of the states of matter from the LearningNetwork. Includes facts, early theories, and modern theories.http://www.factmonster.com/ce6/sci/A0859536.htmlStates of MatterICDescription: A colorful illustrated page with descriptions of the states ofmatter and links to various related subjects.http://library.thinkquest.org/50133/50133/statematter.htmStep 3 ExpandChoose and complete one of the following activities:Activity 1: Cook a MealFCPlan and cook a meal for your family that involves you changing: (a) onesolid to a liquid, and (b) one liquid to a solid. (Here are some examples: Can youmelt butter to sauté vegetables? If so, what change takes place in the state ofmatter? Other examples might include freezing or boiling something.)Underlined text refers to Internet link56

An Internet Linked Unit StudyActivity 2: Make a ChartOCMark a chart with the titles Solids, Liquids, and Gasses. List at leastten solids, ten liquids, and ten gases. Discuss the properties of each. Can each bechanged into a different phase of matter? Why or why not? How can you collectgases? (Hint: What about a balloon?)Activity 3: ExperimentMCSet a timer. In sixty minutes, see if you can do all of the following:1. Change a solid to a liquid2. Change a gas to a liquid3. Change a liquid to a solid4. Change a liquid to a gasCAUTION: Changes that involve boiling and heating should only be done under thesupervision of a parent. Record your experiment on a Lab Sheet.Activity 4: Define WordslCAdd the following to your Vocabulary Notebook:boiling pointcondensation pointevaporationfreezing pointgaskinetic theoryliquidmelting pointplasmasolidstates of mattervaporActivity 5: Do Further ResearchRCPlasmas were discussed in this lesson. Research them in detail. Keep ajournal of your research findings and the resources you used.Activity 6: Create a Display Using Your ComputerACFind an illustration of each state of matter (in a magazine or on theInternet). If you are using The Usborne Internet-linked Science Book you haveaccess to illustrations on their Web site. Copy the diagrams of the atom and electronand paste them into a graphics program. Label the illustrations using the textfeatures in your graphics program (some word processing programs have theseResources recommended in d several lessons, h other HOW Units. k Key Resource (see beginning of unit).© Heart of Wisdom Publishing 57

Energycapabilities). Print out your work. If you don’t have a graphics program, print outthe illustrations and cut and paste them onto paper. If your printout is not incolor, use felt markers to color your project. Place this page in your Portfolio.Activity 7: Make Ice CreamFCMake ice cream in a bag. Materials: 3 cups crushed ice, ½ cup rock salt,1 cup chocolate milk, 1 gallon-size freezer bag, 1 quart-size freezer bag, 1 cups, 1spoons, and paper towels. (If you have a temperature probe, record the temperatureof the milk before and after each step.)1. Place 3 cups crushed ice in a gallon-size freezer bag.2. Add ½ cup rock salt to the ice, and stir for about one minute.3. Place 1 cup of chocolate milk in a quart-size freezer bag. Make sure it issealed tightly.4. Seal the quart-size bag inside the gallon-size bag containing the crushedice and begin shaking.5. Continue shaking the bag until the milk turns into a solid.6. Record your experiment on a Lab Sheet. What processes changed thesestates of matter? What purpose did the salt have? At what temperaturedoes water freeze? If you used a temperature probe, at what temperaturedid the milk freeze?Activity 8: Make a Children’s BookWCPut together a children’s book that illustrates the states of matter.Then, read the book aloud to teach a child the different states. Refer to The BigBook of Books and Activities d “Bound Books” (50-53) or Pop Up Book Directions:http://projects.edtech.sandi.net/pershing/explorers/popup.htm, or Small BookInstructions: http://www.oktechmasters.org/andyb/small_book_instructions.htmStep 4 ExcelTeach the three basic states of matter to a child using water, an ice cube, and a tea kettle(with adult supervision).If you made ice cream, share it with someone as you explain the different states of matter.Correct all written work to demonstrate correct punctuation and spelling, and effective use ofgrammar. Record all science experiments using a Lab Sheet. Add corrected written work orany illustrations to your Portfolio.Underlined text refers to Internet link58