Matter
Is matter natural or man-made?
Both!
What are the 3 states of matter?
Solid, Liquid, Gas
What is hardness? Why is a piece of chalk not considered hard?
A material is hard when it cannot be scratched easily. Although a piece of chalk is not thought of as "soft," it is easily scratched off.
Name 5 uses for wood.
Paper, furniture, construction, fuel, utensils, flooring, instruments, toys...
What are forces?
Forces are actions that can change an object’s movement or shape. Forces can change an object’s movement by making it go slower or faster. It can also change the direction of its movement.
What is matter?
Matter is everything that we can see, smell and touch. Matter is anything that has mass and takes up space.
Describe each state of matter and give an example of each.
Solids have a fixed shape.
Liquids do not have a fixed shape. They take the shape of the container thay are in.
Gasses do not have a fixed shape and they fill all the available space around them.
What is the difference between elasticity and flexibility?
A material is elastic if it recovers its shape after you stretch it. A material is flexible if it bends well without breaking.
Ceramic is made from clay. What must be done to clay before it can be used? What are 2 common uses?
It must be fired in a kiln. Uses of ceramics include dishes/plates, jewelry, decorations, etc.
What are contact forces? Give two examples.
A contact force is created when two objects touch.
What is mass? How do we measure it?
Mass is the amount of matter in an object. We use scales to measure mass by comparing the mass of two objects.
Describe the particles of each state of matter.
Solid: the particles are tightly packed together
Liquid: the particles are slightly more spread out
Gas: the particles do not touch and are very spread out
What is tenacity? What is the opposite?
A material has tenacity if it is strong and can support a lot of weight without breaking. The opposite would be fragile or brittle.
Name one natural fiber/textile and one man-made textile.
Natural fibers: cotton, wool, silk, linen, leather
Man-made textiles: polyester, nylon, lycra (spandex), rayon
What are non-contact or at-a-distance forces? Give two examples.
An act at a distance force is when an objects changes its movement or shape, even though it wasn’t touched. Two examples are magnetism and gravity.
What is volume? How do we measure it?
Volume is how much space an object occupies. The volume of a liquid can be measured with graduated cylinders, like test tubes.
What are the processes of: Solid to liquid? Liquid to gas? Gas to liquid? Liquid to solid?
Melting, evaporation, condensation, freezing
What is transparency? What is the opposite? What is it called when something is semi-transparent?
A material is transparent if light can pass through it clearly. The opposite would be opaque. Something that is semi-transparent is called translucent.
What is plastic made from? Why is plastic often bad for the environment?
Plastic is made from natural materials like oil, gas, or plants. It is bad because it takes up natural resources and takes hundreds of years to break down.
What is magnetism?
Magnetism is a natural force that can attract or repel metal objects.
What is density? Explain how it relates to buoyancy.
Density measures how much matter there is in a specific volume. Because of density, buoyancy exists. Solids float on liquids that have more density than them. If a liquid is less dense than a solid object, the object sinks.
Can you reduce the volume of a liquid or a gas? Explain.
Gasses can be compressed. Their volume can be reduced if the volume of their container is also reduced. You cannot reduce the volume of a liquid.
Name 7 physical properties (there are hundreds!).
Texture, Hardness, Elasticity, Flexibility, Tenacity, Buoyancy, Transparency, Color, Magnetism, Conductivity.
Metal is known for being a conductor of electricity. Why, then, is it safe for us to be in a car during a lightning storm? Explain what material keeps us safe.
The rubber tires of the car help prevent the electricity from going inside of the car.
Explain gravity and mass.
Gravity is a force that exists between all objects with mass. The Earth has a high mass and its gravitational force is very strong. This force pulls all objects towards the Earth and causes them to have weight. Gravity is what causes objects to fall to the ground.