Classifying Materials

Question 0

What are materials made of?

Answer 0

Materials are made of tiny particles.

Question 1

Materials come in three different forms, three ‘States Of Matter’. What are they?

Answer 1

Materials come as solids, liquids or gases.

Question 2

Why are materials in a solid, liquid or gas ‘state’ (form)?

Answer 2

Particles in a material stick together, sometimes really strongly, sometimes not so strongly.
How well they stick together depends on the material, the temperature and the pressure.

Question 3

What does ‘properties’ mean when talking about materials?

Answer 3

Solids, liquids and gases have different properties, which ‘behave’ in different ways

Question 4

What kind of ‘properties’ are there?

Answer 4

There are 5 properties which can describe materials:

1) volume 2) shape 3) density (how heavy they are) 4) compressibility (‘squashability’)
5) ease of flow (can they flow or not)

Question 6

Explain the 5 properties of ‘solids’.

Answer 6

1) Solids have a definite volume and 2) shape. 3) They have a high density (heavy for their size) and 4) low compressibility (not easily squashed). 5) Solids don’t flow.

Question 7

Explain the 5 properties of liquids

Answer 7

1) Liquids have a definite volume. 2) Their shape matches the shape of the container. 3) They have a medium density. 4) They are not easily squashed. 5) Liquids flow easily. Some flow more easily than others.

Question 8

Explain the 5 properties of gases.

Answer 8

1) Gases have no definite volume - they always fill the container they are in. 2) They have no fixed shape - they become the same shape as the container. 3) Gases have very low density. 4) They are easily squashed. 5) Gases flow easily (and diffuse).

Question 9

What is ‘particle theory’?

Answer 9

Particle Theory is all about the energy and arrangement of particles.