Matter is a key component in science therefore it is important that all scientist understand this aspect. In class we have been doing multiple labs to demonstrate and understand how each matter responds to another. To understand how matter works, we first need to know what matter is. Everything in the world is matter. Cars, water, smoke, toys, juice, televisions, pencil.....everything is matter. Therefore are four types of matter, solid, liquid, gas, and plasma.
Solids
First, is solid. Solids are structures that have a definite shape and volume. For example, metal, paper, and door knobs are all solids. In a solid, the particles are closely packed therefore each molecules have no space to move. Each particle has no space to move therefore the structure is stiff and able to endure breakage. Lastly, in solids, some are made of a special material called, amorphous crystals. These solids are clear and are shaped as crystals. Solids, overall, are well developed structures that are able to endure others because their molecules are closely packs.
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| Particles in a solid |
Liquids
Next are liquids. Liquids are substances that have a definite volume but not a definite shape. For instance, water, juice, and lemonade are all examples of liquids. In a liquid, particles have more space to move but they are still containing inside an area. In liquids, there is also a viscosity effect. This is where there is resistance to the flow of the water. When there is open space around, water spread out and flow into those areas. However, viscosity prevents this from happening.
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| Liquid Molecules |
Gas
The next matter is gas. Gases have no definite volume or shape. For example, steam, smoke, and carbon dioxide are examples of matter. In a gas, the particles are much more spread out and have more room to spread out. When there is open space, gases will spread out and go into those areas.
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| Gas molecules |
Plasma
The last and least common matter to be found on earth is plasma. Plasma is an high energy type of matter that contain electrons. With the electrons, plasma becomes an extremely dangerous type of matter that should not be played with. Plasma has no definite shape or volume. An example of plasma is lightning. Lighting is highly dangerous and powerful because it contains electrons from the plasma.
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| Order of Matter |
Chemical Change
Next, in matter there are specific changes, chemical and physical changes. Each of these action, happen differently, at different times and speeds. Firstly, chemical changes are when matter is changed into a new substance. To perform chemical change you could make an item rust, burn, boil, or explode. In chemical changes, the interior is mostly changed. For example, fireworks exploding are an example of chemical change. The matter inside a firework is ignited from another matter substance which makes the firework to explode. Another example of chemical change is boiling water. The water is heated by fire therefore; two types of matter combine to create a new substance.
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| Example of chemical change |
Physical Change
The other type of matter change is physical change. Physical change occurs in matter when the form or appearance of a matter is altered but yet its composition and substance does not change. An example of physical change is ice melting. The ice is adapted into the new atmosphere which makes it melt. The form of the structure has changed into a liquid but the substance (in this case water) has not. Another example of physical change is grinding Goldfishes. When grinding, you break the food apart but the substance within the matter is still the same. The goldfish crackers are still cracker they are just more broken up. Physical and chemical changes happen in our body every day. For example, in the digestive system, our mouth breaks down food using our teeth which is physical change. Than the saliva breaks down the food into more which is the chemical change.
Now that we know the types of matter and changes, we could understand how the lab affected the matter.
Labs
The first lab we did was burning a small candle. We lighted a candle and took notes on how the fire affected the candle. At first, the candle was rough, thin, and green but once it was burned, it had changed. The candle was now black and smelled like ashes. The candle had shrunk but it was still able to keep its cylinder shape. With this lab we were able to learn how chemical change affected the candle. We were able to understand firstly, that chemical change takes time to react. The candle went into a stage of combustion or it was melting. The particles inside the candle were moving faster therefore, the wax of the candle began to melt. With this lab we were able to see chemical change in a slow reaction so that we could see the different changes in matter. This lab was like melting ice cream. When eating ice, it melts which what happened to the candle.
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| Candle burning |
The second lab we did was burning a candle but taking it out with gas. We burnt a bigger candle but instead of letting it burn, we took out the fire with a gas. While the fire was burning we put carbon dioxide on it which took it out. The fire was token out because the fire had no air to breathe to keep burning. Fire needed air to breathe but when carbon dioxide takes over, no air is free to be taken in, therefore the fire was stopped. From this lab we were able to learn that when two matter mix, anything could happen. In this case one matter over took the other matter substance.
The third lab we did was roasting marshmallow. As delicious as the lab was, I was able to learn a lot from it. We burnt s a side of the marshmallow to see the chemical change within sugar. We noticed that burnt sugar became very dark brown and that it tasted very bitter. From this lab we were to figure out that the molecules in the burnt area spread out but were still able to keep its solid form. We also experiment with the small marshmallow. We tear it in half therefore doing a physical change. We learned that even though the shape of the marshmallow changed the substance within was still the same. With this lab we were able to adapt to the world and figure out that it is easier to see a physical change than a chemical change.
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| Roasting Marshmallow |
Our last lab was burning sugar cubes. First we broke up the cube which was a physical change because we changed the structure but not the substance within the sugar. We putted the crushed sugar into a cup of water where the water was still visible. We tasted the water and the water was still sweet. We know that the sugar particles are still in the water because we could see the particles swirling around the cup in circles. Lastly, we burnt the sugar which was a chemical change. The sugar became black and burnt. From this lab, we were able to take away, that there is a huge difference between physical and chemical change.
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| Sugar cubes |
Conclusion:
Proven from all these labs, matter and changes are very important. Firstly, without matter, nothing in the world (and science) would make sense. Matter is a key essential in the world and we could not live without it proven within the labs. I had a lot of fun in the lab and wish to do more experiments.
-Whiteknight83
Sources:
http://www.jellymuffin.com/layouts/Cartoon_Characters/Snoopy_and_Woodstock/thumb.jpg- Roasting marshmallow
http://s1222.mtchs.org/WOTP/images/states.gif- state of matter
https://thescienceclassroom.wikispaces.com/file/view/gas_molecules.jpg/226949998/gas_molecules.jpg- gas molecules
