Explore Properties of Matter

Materials that let heat or electrical energy travel through them easily are conductors. Most things that are conductors are made of metal, although other types of materials can also be conductors. A conductor may transfer heat energy or electrical energy.

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Explore Properties of Matter

Explore Properties of Matter

TEKS 5.6.A

Materials that do not conduct heat or electrical energy are called insulators. Insulators are often made of cloth, plastic, or rubber.

Explore Properties of Matter

Have you ever noticed what covers the electric power cords of electric devices? The wires inside are covered with plastic to keep the electrical energy from conducting into outside material and starting a fire.

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Explore Properties of Matter

Many things conduct electrical and thermal energy. Other materials insulate against the flow of electrical or thermal energy

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Explore Properties of Matter

What patterns can you identify in the types of materials that are conductors and insulators of electrical energy?

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Explore Properties of Matter

Explore Properties of Matter

Many observable or testable physical properties can be used to compare and contrast matter besides those explored in the investigations.

For example, some matter is solid, such as rocks. Solids have a fixed volume and do not take the shape of their container.

Solids

Liquids like water

also have a fixed volume, but they take the shape of a container. For

example, milk poured out of a carton into a glass changes its shape.

Liquids

Gases like air do not have a fixed volume. They will spread out to fill

whatever container they are in.

Gases

Another property that can be used to compare and contrast matter is

magnetism. A magnet will pull metal paper clips towards itself. Most nonmetals, such as plastic and wood, will not be attracted by a magnet.

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Explore Properties of Matter

Compare and contrast the materials based on their properties, and identify if they are

conductors or insulators of electrical energy.

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Explore Properties of Matter

Materials may have similar shapes but very different properties.

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Explore Properties of Matter

Hotspot

Click on the ALL of the materials that are good conductors of electrical energy.

Hotspot

Click on the ALL of the materials that are good insulators of electrical energy.

​Using a metal spoon to stir the pot could result in a burn to your hands because metal conducts heat from boiling water.

The temperature of the spoon is about 80 °C.

Using a spoon with a nylon handle is a much better idea. Nylon does not conduct heat as well as metal.

The temperature of the spoon is about 30 °C.

Fill in the Blanks

If a substance can dissolve in a liquid, it is soluble in that liquid. If a solid, liquid, or gas can dissolve into water, it has solubility in water. Different materials have different solubilities.

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Exploring Properties of Matter

How would you test a material for solubility in water? How would you determine if the material was soluble or not?

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Exploring Properties of Matter

You can use physical properties like volume and mass to describe matter too. Just because objects have the same volume does not mean they have the same mass. Consider the volumes and masses of a table tennis ball, golf ball, volleyball, and bowling ball.

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Exploring Properties of Matter

When something dissolves in water, that means that the substance spreads out evenly and mixes completely with water.

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Exploring Properties of Matter

Dropdown

The bowling ball and the ​

Select answer

are similar in volume but not mass.

Drag and Drop

The table tennis ball and the ​ ​

Placeholder

 

are similar in volume, but also have different masses.

Drag these tiles and drop them in the correct blank above

golf ball

volleyball

bowling ball

Drag and Drop

The bowling ball and the volleyball have a ​

Placeholder

volume than the golf ball and table tennis ball.

Drag these tiles and drop them in the correct blank above

larger

smaller

Reorder

Reorder the following by mass from least to greatest.

• table tennis ball

• golf ball

• volleyball

• bowling ball

1

2

3

4

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4

Now that you have explored properties of matter, check your learning...

Select two objects in your classroom. Make a Venn Diagram to compare and contrast the two objects based on their properties. energy.

Select two objects in your classroom. Make a Venn Diagram to compare and contrast the two objects based on their properties.

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Exploring Properties of Matter

For example, you could use mass, relative density, physical state, volume, solubility in water, and the ability to conduct or insulate thermal energy or electrical energy.

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​Exploring Properties of Matter