What is Matter? / Study Guide

What is Matter? / Study Guide

The word matter can be used in a variety of different settings. In science, matter has a very specific definition. Matter is anything that has mass and takes up space. In this picture, the people, plants, and the house are all matter.

Properties of Matter

All matter has mass and volume, which means matter takes up space. However, matter is not all the same. A rock and a cloud are made up of different materials that have different Chemistry properties, or characteristics. The different properties of matter help people to classify and use different materials in appropriate settings.

For example, a material that catches on fire easily would not be an appropriate material to use in a firefighter’s uniform. The study of matter and how it can change is called chemistry. Chemists identify and experiment with different forms of matter to better understand their properties, including how one form of matter interacts with other forms of matter.

Multiple Select

What would you most likely likely learn in a chemistry class? Select all that apply.

• how to find the mass of an object

• how different substances react when mixd together

• the different traits of mammals

• the different moons of Jupiter

• the building blocks of matter

Multiple Choice

Meranda loves her dog. Is her love an example of matter?

The man, bed, clothes, pillow, and clock all have mass and volume, so they are examples of matter. The concept of time does not take up space or have mass, so it is not an example of matter.

The girl, colored pencils, table, paper, and air in the room all take up space and have mass, so they are matter. The thoughts and imagination of the girl do not have mass or volume, so they are not matter.

The people, instruments and stage all take up space and have mass, so they are matter. The sounds made by the people and instruments and the light shining on the stage do not have mass or take up space, so they are not matter.

Multiple Choice

Air is invisible, but it is still matter.

Any kind of matter that has a specific makeup, or composition, is a substance. In other words, a particular substance is always made up of the same parts in specific percentages. Sodium chloride, or table salt, is a substance that is always made up of set percentages of sodium and chloride. A sample of sodium chloride will always have the same characteristics, or properties, even when the size, shape, or place where the sample is different.

Multiple Choice

A __________ has a specific makeup. This means that all samples of the same type have ____________ properties

• substance; different

• substance; the same

Multiple Choice

Cressida gathers several samples of matter. She gathers an ice cube from her freezer, a cup of water from the tap at her sink, and a bottle of water from the grocery store. With the help of a chemist, she finds out what kind of matter makes up each sample. What did she most likely discover?

• Only ice is a substance. Liquid water and ice contain different kinds of matter.

• Only liquid water is a substance. Ice and liquid water contain different kinds of matter.

• Each of the samples are made up of very different materials, so none of the samples are substances.

• Pure water is a substance that contains hydrogen and oxygen. All of these samples are substances that have the same properties.

Multiple Choice

Macy made two different kinds of lemonade to sell at her lemonade stand. One kind had sugar, powdered drink mix, and water. The other kind had lemon juice, water, and honey. Is lemonade a substance?

Matter is not all the same. Different kinds of matter can vary in their composition, shape, size, or state. Since matter can be so different, it can be studied and classified based on its characteristic properties.

Multiple Choice

Which of the words below would most likely complete the dictionary definition (click to enlarge) at left.

Physical Properties

• COLOR - green, orange, red and multicolored.

• TEXTURE - by touching the popsicles, a person can observe they have a smooth texture.

• SHAPE - Three of the popsicles are rectangular and one is cylindrical.

• STATE - Solid, because they have been frozen. If left out they will melt, but would only be different in form, not substance.

Multiple Select

Which of these is not a physical property?

• texture

• shape

• chemical reactivity

• size

• color

Multiple Select

Which of these properties are not characteristic of ice cream?

• sharp

• rough

• hot

• cold

• sweet

Some physical properties are not as easily observed by the senses. To identify these properties, a person often needs specific instruments. Even though these physical properties cannot be observed by only using the senses, observing these properties does not cause any change in the identity of the matter. A physical property can always be observed without changing the matter into new substances.

Temperate & Volume

To find the specific temperature of matter, a thermometer must be used. A thermometer shows that this water's temperature is 15 degrees C  (59 degrees F).  The water is also in a beaker, which is  a tool that measures the volume of liquid matter.

Mass

The mass of matter can be measured using a device called a balance.  This glass beaker has a mass of 210 grams.

Boiling and Freezing Points

The boiling and freezing points of matter can be found by raising and lowering the temperature until there is a change in state.  The boiling point of water is 100 degrees Celsius (212 degrees Fahrenheit).  Even when water boils or freezes, it still has the same makeup.

Malleability

The malleability of a substance is its ability to be bent, pounded, or molded into different shapes.  Aluminum foil is a highly malleable substance.

Thermal or Electric Conductivity

Conductivity describes how well a substance can transfer heat or move an electrical current.  Metal matter transfers heat easily.

Multiple Choice

Match this scenario with the correct physical property.

Jaimie is able to fold and crush aluminum foil into a tiny ball.

• volume

• freezing point

• malleability

• thermal conductivity

Multiple Choice

Match this scenario with the correct physical property.

Caitlyn touches a metal pan that has been on the hot stove, and it burns her finger.

• volume

• freezing point

• malleability

• thermal conductivity

Multiple Choice

Match this scenario with the correct physical property.

Aaron leaves a bottle of water in his car overnight in the winter, and the water is solid in the morning.

• volume

• freezing point

• malleability

• thermal conductivity

Multiple Choice

Match this scenario with the correct physical property.

Alicia uses a measuring cup to find out there are 0.5 liters of milk in her glass.

• volume

• freezing point

• malleability

• thermal conductivity

Multiple Select

A construction manager is selecting the materials to build a school in an area where tornadoes occur frequently. Select the physical properties of materials that would be best for this project.

Multiple Choice

Jezebel placed a piece of paper in her fireplace and lit a match. The paper caught fire quickly and turned into smoke and ash. Is paper's response to fire a physical property?

Matter can also be classified based on its chemical properties. A chemical property is a characteristic of a substance that describes its ability to change into other substances with

different properties. A chemical property can only be observed when a reaction is taking place

that changes the identity of the substance.

Flammability, or the ability of a substance to burn, is one chemical property. Fuels, like charcoal and propane, catch fire very easily, so they are described as highly flammable. When

these substances burn, they change into new substances, namely water and carbon dioxide.

The formation of rust occurs because of a chemical property of iron called reactivity. Over time, iron slowly reacts with oxygen in the air to form a new substance called rust. Objects made of iron, like chains and old cars, will rust if exposed to air for long periods of time.

Multiple Choice

Which of the following scenarios show the chemical properties of a substance?

Check all that apply.

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is not a physical property of matter?

• malleability

• flammability

• mass

• state of matter

• texture

Multiple Select

Which of the following are chemical properties of matter?

• malleability

• flammability

• mass

• state of matter

• reactivity

Multiple Choice

What is the definition of matter?

• anything that has mass and takes up space

• a type of energy that causes change

• a characteristic of a substance that can be observed without changing it into another substance

• a characteristic of a substance that describes its ability to change into other substances.

Multiple Choice

What is chemistry?

• the study of life on Earth

• the study of matter and its changes

• the study of outer space

• the study of Earth's history

Multiple Choice

What is a substance?

• any living thing found on Earth

• any liquid or gas that has a definite volume

• a solid that is made up of only one material

• a single kind of matter that has a specific makeup

Multiple Choice

What is a physical property?

• a characteristic of a substance that can only be observed through a measurement or experiment

• a characteristic of a substance that describes its ability to change into other substances

• a characteristic of a substance that the senses cannot observe

• a characteristic of a substance that can be observed without changing it into another substance

Multiple Choice

What is a chemical property?

• a characteristic of a substance that can easily be observed by the senses

• a characteristic of a substance that describes its ability to change into a different state of matter

• a characteristic of a substance that can only be observed through a measurement or experiment

• a characteristic of a substance that describes its ability to change into other substances

Multiple Select

Select the things in this picture (click to enlarge) that are matter.

• air

• people

• light

• friendship

• water

Multiple Choice

Which of these pictures show a chemical property of marshmallows?

Multiple Choice

Substance a and Substance B are combined in a test tube. The result is two completely different products, called Substance C and Substance D. Does this experiment show the chemical or physical properties of Substance A and B?

• Physical Properties

• Chemical Properties

Multiple Select

Matter must _______.

Check all that are true.

• have mass

• be solid

• be visible

• take up space

Multiple Select

Which statements about matter are true?

Check all that are true.

• Matter can be classified by its characteristic properties

• Light and sound are two examples of matter.

• Matter can be in liquid, solid, or gaseous form.

• Many physical properties of matter can be observed using the senses.

Multiple Select

Which of the following are physical properties?

Check all that are true.

• malleability

• volume

• texture

• flammability

• size

Multiple Select

When vinegar is mixed with baking soda, carbon dioxide gas and water are formed. Does this reaction demonstrate a chemical property?

Check all that are true.

• No, a chemical property can be observed without changing a substance into another substance.

• No, a chemical property can only be observed by mixing liquid substances, and baking soda is a solid.

• Yes a chemical property describes a substance’s ability to change into other substances.

• Yes, a chemical property can only be observed during a reaction that creates new substances.

Multiple Select

Juliana boiled some water on the stove to make pasta for dinner. She also put fruit juice in ice cube trays and froze them in the freezer for dessert. Which of the following statements are correct?

Check all that are true.

• The juice’s freezing point is an example of a physical property.

• The water’s boiling point is an example of a chemical property.

• The water’s boiling point is an example of a physical property.

• The juice’s freezing point is an example of a chemical property.

Multiple Select

Which statements about matter are true?

Check all that are true.

• Matter can be classified by its characteristic properties

• Light and sound are two examples of matter.

• Matter can be in liquid, solid, or gaseous form.

• Many physical properties of matter can be observed using the senses.