A Brief Intro to 3 States of Matter (con't from last post)

3 STATES OF MATTER: Solid, Liquid & Gas

Matter can be in different states: solid, liquid, and gas.

There is also another state, plasma, which is different than the other three states.

Why are some things solid, some liquid, and some gas?

Matter is made up of very tiny particles.

Example: Water is matter. At freezing temperatures, water is in solid ice. At room temperature water is a liquid. At very warm temperatures, water is vapor. No matter what state it is in, solid, liquid, or gas, it is still water, only the tiny particles have a different amount of energy so they act differently.

• SOLIDS have particles that are packed very close together.

Solid particles have very little energy so they move very little, only vibrating in a fixed crystal structure.        Example: Ice is solid water at freezing temperatures.

• LIQUIDS have particles that have relatively little space between them.

Liquid particles have more energy than solids (but less than gases), and roll over one another to fit the shape of their container.        Example: At room temperature water is a liquid.

• GASES  have particles that are relatively far away from each other.

Gas particles have more energy than liquids and solids, and move very quickly all over, filling their container.        Example: At very warm temperatures water is vapor, like clouds.

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Here are some more examples to try:

Item	Is it a solid, liquid, or gas?
A chair
Orange juice
The air we breathe
A rubber ball
Helium in a balloon
Milk
The rubber in a balloon

Previous post for young scientists: http://naturenimbus.blogspot.ca/2014/11/a-brief-intro-to-matter-and-energy.html 

A Brief Intro to Matter and Energy

  Whether it's examining the wing of a butterfly or becoming enchanted by the pulsating waves on a lake a love for nature that comes from the heart is something precious. This appreciation serves as a source of inspiration for arts and creative pursuits, physical exploration and activities, and later intellectual understanding as to why we not only enjoy it, but need it.

As many of us come to realize as we age, while simply a love for the natural world can be enough to spark many peoples' interest in science, coming to understand the technical aspects is sometimes required to reach other people, going from head to heart.

A very young friend of mine is curious by nature and is very eager to move on to more abstract concepts in science, so sometimes we'll discuss science together. I am no science teacher, but recently I've decided to type out a few things to help in explaining some things. In case you or someone else would like a small introduction, here is the first sheet. Stay tuned for more in coming posts!

MATTER AND ENERGY

Everything we can measure in our physical world is made up of matter or energy.

Matter takes up space and has mass.

Mass is the amount of matter an object has, and is can be measured by weighing an object. Our physical bodies use matter in different ways: we use it to build things and we consume it, but humans cannot create matter (it must already be there for us to use).

Matter comes in different states: solid, liquid, and gas, and a fourth state, plasma.

Example: Water is mass. At freezing temperatures, water is in solid ice. At room temperature water is a liquid. At very warm temperatures, water is vapor. No matter what state it is in, solid, liquid, or gas, it is still water.

Energy is power, or the ability to make things work and happen.

There are different kinds of energy.

Example: Heat is thermal energy. Heat is not made of matter, but it can interact with matter. It can melt ice and warm you up.

Everything that happens in nature is because of the way matter and energy have been designed to behave, or move around. Matter and energy can move fast or slow, in different directions, and can interact with other matter and energy. It all works together because matter and energy follow specially-designed for the physical universe.

Here are some examples:

Item	Is it matter or energy?
A tree
Orange juice
The air we breathe
Electricity
Light

Next post for young scientists: http://naturenimbus.blogspot.ca/2014/11/a-brief-intro-to-3-states-of-matter.html