Vocabulary 1
A very small piece of matter.
Particle
Anything that has mass and takes up space.
Matter
The state in which a substance maintains a fixed volume and shape. The particles are packed closely together.
Solid
Choose an object and describe its physical properties.
Answers may vary.
How much sweat can feet produce in one day?
Feet can produce a pint of sweat a day.
There are 500,000 sweat glands in your feet that are capable of producing a pint of sweat throughout the day.
Something that changes the physical properties of a substance.
Physical change
A characteristic of a material.
Property
The amount of space an object takes up.
Volume
Choose an object and describe a possible chemical change that could occur.
Answers may vary.
What bird is the only animal that can fly backwards and upside down?
Hummingbirds are the only birds that can fly backwards and upside down.
The design of a hummingbird's wings differs from most other types of birds. Hummingbirds have a unique ball and socket joint at the shoulder that allows the bird to rotate its wings 180 degrees in all directions. The shape of their wings are long, narrow and tapered, which allows them to move more quickly and easily through the air. Additionally, the shoulder and elbow joints of the wing are very close to their tiny bodies, allowing the wings to tilt and pivot. These characteristics allow hummingbirds to change flight directions in a way other birds cannot.
The state in which a substance expands to occupy the volume and shape of its container. The particles are fast moving and can expand apart from each other.
Gas
A process in which one or more substances undergo a change to become a different substance altogether.
Chemical change
The state in which a substance adapts to the shape of its container, and mostly maintains its volume. The particles are touching, but they can move past each other.
Liquid
According to the Law of Conservation of Mass, explain what happens to mass when you combine two substances.
Law of Conservation of Mass says that matter can not be created or destroyed. That means when you are combining 2 substances, you just add their masses together.
How many sunrises does the North Pole have each year?
The North Pole has one sunrise each year.
The sun rises at the North Pole on the Spring Equinox around March 21st. For the next six months, the sun is always visible in the sky. Its maximum height, similar to our “noon,” occurs at the Summer Solstice around June 21st. The sun sets at the North Pole on the Fall Equinox around September 21st. Although the sun is below the horizon for the next six months, the area is not in total darkness. The pole experiences periods of twilight before and after the lights go out. The South Pole follows a similar pattern, but in reverse! When the sun rises at the North Pole, it sets at the South Pole.
A substance that contains two or more substances, which are not chemically combined
Mixture
Matter that has specific components and properties.
Substance
What kind of change takes place when you are roasting a marshmallow and why?
Chemical change
Explain physical and chemical changes. Can the change be undone?
A chemical change can't be undone and creates a new substance. A physical change changes the physical properties, but is still the same substance.
What animal produces their own sunscreen?
Animals like hippopotamuses and zebrafish are known to produce their own natural sunscreen-like substances; hippos secrete a reddish fluid that acts as a sunblock, while zebrafish create a compound called "gadusol" which protects them from UV radiation; many other fish, reptiles, amphibians, and birds are also believed to produce gadusol.
Zebrafish: Scientists have identified a compound called "gadusol" produced by zebrafish which provides protection against UV radiation
The principle that matter can neither be made nor destroyed; rather, it can only be transformed or transferred from one form to another.
Law of Conservation of Mass
The measure of the amount of matter in an object.
Mass
What kind of change takes place as you chew food? Why?
Physical and chemical change
Give an example of how a new substance can NOT be created. What needs to happen to create a new substance?
If the physical properties remain the same, a new substance has not been created. Also, if you can undo the change (like separating our salt from water), it is not a new substance. To create a new substance, a chemical reaction must occur, where the chemical bonds in the starting materials break, allowing the atoms to rearrange and form new bonds, resulting in a substance with different properties than the original ones.
How many Earths can fit inside the Sun?
1.3 million Earths can fit inside the Sun.
The sun is large enough that approximately 1.3 million Earths could fit inside. Want to check our math? The volume of the sun is 1.41 x 1018 km3, while the volume of Earth is 1.08 x 1012 km3. If you divide the volume of the sun by the volume of the Earth, you get that roughly 1.3 million Earths can fit inside the sun. However, this assumes that the Earths are squished together without leaving any empty space. Scientists estimate that if the Earths retained their spherical shape, only about 960,000 would fit because of wasted space in between the spheres.