Particle Theory & Matter
What is "matter"?
Matter is anything that has weight and takes up space.
What is viscosity?
Viscosity describes a fluid's resistance to flow/flow rate.
What is "mass"?
Mass is about measuring how much matter is in mass. Mass is usually measured in grams (g) or kilograms (kg).
What is "buoyancy"?
Buoyancy refers to whether an object can float or sink in a given fluid. It is the upward part of the force exerted by fluids. If the upward buoyant force on an immersed object is greater than the downward force of gravity, the object will rise. If the buoyant force is less than the object’s weight it will sink.
Explain how particles operate in a solid.
Particles in a solid are packed so tightly that they don’t move.
Highly viscous fluids are very resistant to flow - ex: honey/syrup.
What is "volume"?
Volume is concerned with how much space a particular substance occupies.
What does "compressibility" mean?
When you squeeze something, you’re making it smaller. Compressibility is the ability to put external force on a substance, which decreases its size. With the force or pressure, the particles move closer together.
Explain how particles operate in gases.
There is so much space between the constantly moving particles in a gas that you can move around them easily.
Explain what it means for a fluid to have a low viscosity.
If a fluid is not viscous at all, it won't have any resistance to flow - ex: water/dish soap.
What is "density"?
Density looks at how much mass is in a particular volume (or how compact a fluid is). You can tell if a fluid is dense by looking at and comparing its mass-to-volume ratio.
What is the most compressible state of matter? Why?
The most compressible state of matter is gas. This is because there is a lot of space between the particles. Liquids, however, are difficult to compress. Solids are also difficult to compress, and sometimes are incompressible.
How does temperature affect the movement of particles in matter?
Particles move quickly when they’re warmed, and slowly when they’re cold.
What happens to a fluid if you increase/decrease the volume?
If you decrease the volume, the fluid becomes more dense. If there’s more mass and less volume, the fluid becomes less dense.
What is a hydraulic system?
Hydraulic systems, like the name hydro suggests, use water or oil as a fluid. With applied or external force, hydraulic fluids are very powerful. There are a lot of daily uses of hydraulic systems, like elevators or cranes.
How does the particle theory relate to density?
Since density looks at how much mass is in a volume, the particle theory can help describe density. A dense solid’s particles are tightly combined, whereas a gas has a lot of space in between the particles, making it much less dense.
What is a pneumatic system?
Pneumatic systems, on the other hand, use compressed air or gas as their main fluid. Pneumatic devices work over a large temperature range, which make them safer than hydraulic systems. A daily example of this system is bus doors or breaks.