States of Matter
What are the three main states of matter?
Answer: Solid, Liquid, Gas
What is the term for a liquid turning into a gas?
Answer: Vaporization (includes evaporation or boiling)
What type of energy causes particles to move faster?
Answer: Thermal energy
What tool is used to measure temperature?
Answer: Thermometer
Why are expansion joints used in bridges?
Answer: To allow the bridge to expand and contract without damage.
In which state are particles packed tightly together?
Answer: Solid
What phase change occurs when a gas turns into a liquid?
Answer: Condensation
What happens to particle speed when temperature increases?
Answer: Particle speed increases.
What are the boiling and freezing points of water in Celsius?
Answer: Boiling: 100°C; Freezing: 0°C
How does water's expansion upon freezing affect aquatic life?
Answer: Ice forms on top of lakes, insulating the water below and protecting aquatic life.
How do particles in a gas move compared to a liquid?
Answer: In a gas, particles move faster and spread farther apart than in a liquid.
During freezing, does the energy of particles increase or decrease?
Answer: It decreases.
Describe thermal expansion.
Answer: Thermal expansion is when materials expand as particles move faster and spread apart.
What happens to the volume of most materials when they are cooled?
Answer: The volume usually decreases as particles come closer.
What might happen to a thermometer if exposed to extreme cold?
Answer: It might contract and break due to rapid cooling.
What is the main difference between a solid and a liquid?
Answer: In a solid, particles are tightly packed; in a liquid, they can move past each other.
What happens to the arrangement of particles during melting?
Answer: Particles move farther apart and speed up during melting.
What is thermal contraction?
Answer: Thermal contraction is when materials contract as particles slow down and come closer.
Define density.
Answer: Density is mass per unit volume.
Why is understanding thermal expansion important for engineers?
Answer: It helps prevent structural damage due to temperature changes.
Name an example of a material that can exist in all three states of matter.
Answer: Water (ice, liquid water, water vapor)
What is sublimation? Provide an example.
Answer: Sublimation is when a solid changes directly to a gas, e.g., dry ice.
Why do particles move farther apart when energy is added?
Answer: Added energy increases particle speed, reducing attractive forces.
How is mass different from volume?
Answer: Mass is the amount of matter; volume is the space it occupies.
Describe a situation where sublimation occurs in nature.
Answer: Sublimation occurs with snow and ice in cold, dry conditions.