Matter and its Properties

50 lessons, pages 31–80.

  1. What Is Matter? — Anything that has mass and takes up space
  2. Matter and Things That Are Not Matter — Light, heat, sound and ideas
  3. Mass: The Amount of Matter — Grams, kilograms and what mass tells us
  4. Mass and Weight — Why a scale on the Moon reads differently
  5. Measuring Mass with a Balance — Taring, precision and good technique
  6. Volume: The Space Matter Occupies — Cubic centimetres, millilitres and litres
  7. Measuring the Volume of a Liquid — Measuring cylinders and the meniscus
  8. Volume of Regular Solids — Length × width × height
  9. Volume of Irregular Solids by Displacement — Letting water do the measuring
  10. Gases Have Mass and Volume — Air is matter too
  11. What Is Density? — How much mass is packed into each cubic centimetre
  12. Calculating Density — Using density = mass ÷ volume
  13. Rearranging the Density Equation — Finding mass or volume from density
  14. Density of Solids, Liquids and Gases — Comparing the three states
  15. Floating and Sinking — Density decides
  16. Density Columns — Liquids that stack in layers
  17. Density and Temperature — Why hot air rises
  18. Why Ice Floats — The unusual behaviour of water
  19. Identifying Substances by Density — A fingerprint property
  20. What Are Physical Properties? — Observing without changing the substance
  21. Colour, Lustre and Transparency — How materials interact with light
  22. Hardness and the Mohs Scale — Which material scratches which
  23. Malleability and Ductility — Hammering into sheets and drawing into wires
  24. Brittleness, Strength and Elasticity — How materials respond to forces
  25. Melting Point — The temperature where solid becomes liquid
  26. Boiling Point — The temperature where liquid becomes gas throughout
  27. Melting and Boiling Points as Tests of Purity — Sharp points for pure substances
  28. Solubility — How much dissolves
  29. Thermal Conductivity — Conductors and insulators of heat
  30. Electrical Conductivity — Which materials let current flow
  31. Magnetism — Iron, nickel, cobalt and the rest
  32. Odour, Taste and Safe Observation — Why chemists never taste and only waft
  33. Physical and Chemical Properties — What a substance is versus what it can become
  34. Intensive and Extensive Properties — Properties that depend on amount and those that do not
  35. Classifying Materials by Their Properties — Metals, non-metals, ceramics, polymers and composites
  36. Choosing the Right Material — Matching properties to a job
  37. The Particle Theory of Matter — Everything is made of tiny particles
  38. Evidence for Particles: Dissolving — Where does the sugar go?
  39. Evidence for Particles: Diffusion — Spreading out without stirring
  40. Evidence for Particles: Brownian Motion — Jiggling grains under a microscope
  41. Particles Are Always Moving — Vibrating, flowing and flying
  42. Spaces Between Particles — Why 50 mL + 50 mL can be less than 100 mL
  43. Forces Between Particles — The attractions that hold matter together
  44. How Small Are Particles? — Counting molecules in a drop of water
  45. Particles and Temperature — Hotter means faster
  46. The Particle Model of Solids, Liquids and Gases — Arrangement, spacing and motion
  47. Explaining Properties with the Particle Model — Shape, flow and compression
  48. Explaining Density with the Particle Model — Mass of particles and how closely they pack
  49. Conservation of Mass — Matter is not created or destroyed
  50. Matter and Its Properties: Unit Review — Connecting mass, volume, density, properties and particles