What's the Matter?
Today we will be discussing everything on Earth all at once. I'm talking about matter! It makes up everything around you, from the chair you're sitting on, to the screen you're viewing, to your entire body. Let's take a closer look...
What's Matter?
Check out this video from Sabrina at crash course. She does a great job explaining how to define matter, and shows us a look at the three main states of matter. As you watch, try to answer these questions:
What are the two things that classify an item as matter?
How many living things can you find in the little cartoons that pop up on the screen? How many non-living?
A Fourth State?
Plasma is another common state of matter. In fact, it makes up 99.99% of the universe, but most of us don't even know what it is. As you watch the video to find out, list three practical applications of plasma and be sure to share them with a friend and show off your scientific knowledge!
Now that we've studied each state of matter, let's take a look at how we can change from one state to another:
Phase Changes
Take a look at the diagram above. If we follow the arrows from one state of matter to the next, we can see how changing the temperature of an item might cause it to change states.
Each state of matter has a process that changes its state by increasing temperature, and one that changes its state by decreasing temperature.
Let's see if you can fill in the blanks below based on what you know about matter and what you see in the diagram. Some are already filled for you.
Increase in Temperature:
Solid to liquid = ______________________
Liquid to gas = ______________________
Solid to gas = sublimation
Decrease in Temperature:
Gas to liquid = ______________________
Liquid to solid = ______________________
Gas to solid = deposition
What About Plasma?
Let's take a look at the diagram below. We can see that a change in energy levels is the reason for the states to change. When we described the states as changing based on temperature, really we were discussing how much energy was in the particles. As temperatures rise, so do energy levels. We can see that plasma is the most energetic state of matter.
The process of changing from gas to plasma is called Ionization
The process of changing from plasma to gas is called Deionization
Based on what you know know about those processes, let's think about the words themselves.
An Ion is a charged particle. The suffix "tion" means action. The prefix "De" means stop, or not.
Using these roots, we can define "ionization" as the action of charging particles.
"Deionization" could be defined as the action of not charging, or taking away the charge from particles.
Why can't you trust an atom?
Because they make up everything!
Time to Get Messy!
Exploding Lunch Bag
*This lesson is based on the experiment at sciencebob.com
You will need:
a small bag (plastic zipper bag, not paper)
baking soda
warm water
vinegar
measuring cups and spoons
a tissue
Steps:
Gather your materials and head outside so you don't make a mess in your house
Add 1/4 cup warm water and 1/2 cup vinegar to the bag
Place 3 teaspoons of baking soda on the tissue and wrap it up
Zip the bag so that its mostly closed, with just enough room for the tissue to slip in
Quickly pop the tissue into the bag and seal it shut as fast as you can
Set down the bag and back away. If everything was done just right, it will explode!
What happened? Well, when you combined the baking soda (solid) and the vinegar (liquid), the chemicals reacted to produce carbon dioxide. This gas expanded and took up more space than the solid and liquid originally took up. This increase in volume put so much pressure on the bag that it burst!
Let's see that again!
Here's a video of the experiment so you can see another sample of what it might look like. Don't forget to clean up!
Bonus Experiment:
If you're still in the mood for hands-on science, try making a homemade lava lamp! There are two options below. They require different materials, so see which one you can do based on what you have at home. If you don't have access to all the supplies, make sure to watch the videos so you can still see the results and be prepared for the quiz.
Lava Lamp 1
Materials: Plastic or glass bottle or cup, cooking oil, water, food coloring, fizzy tablets (like alka-seltzer), optional flashlight
Lava Lamp 2
Materials: Plastic or glass bottle or cup, vinegar, food dye, cooking oil, baking soda, water
What Was THAT All About?
There's another property of matter we haven't discussed yet. It's called density. Here's something to consider, which is heavier, a pound of bricks or a pound of feathers?
Trick question! They both weigh ONE pound. The difference is their densities. A pound of bricks is small and compact because they're dense and heavy. A pound of feathers would have a much larger volume because the individual feathers are lighter and less dense.
Solids are typically dense, meaning that the molecules are packed close together.
Liquids are usually less dense. The molecules are farther apart, but still stick together.
Gases are usually the least dense. The molecules spread out as far as they can inside the space they occupy.
How do we measure density?
Density is the measure of mass divided by volume.
If we know mass and volume, we can find density.
If we know density and mass, we can find volume.
If we know density and volume, we can find mass.
Check out the equations in the image below to see how the measurements relate.
Let's use try one example. If we have a box that measures 3 cm by 3 cm by 2 cm, and weighs 36 g, what is its density?
Step 1: We know the mass (36 grams) so we need to find volume next.
Step 2: If we multiply the Length X Width X Height, we have 3cm X 3cm X 2cm = 18cm^3
Step 3: Divide mass by volume. 36g / 18cm^3 = 2g/cm^3
Units are important in density. The unit will always be a measurement of weight (gram, pound, etc.) over a measurement of volume (cm^3, liter, etc.)
"Look! Is that a matter baby?"
"What's a matter baby?"
"Nothing. What's a matter with you?"
Review and Reflection
Wow! What a fun way to learn about density. Explosions and lava lamps are pretty cool, but don't forget to clean up after yourself. Trust me, your caregivers will be proud. When you're ready, answer the questions below and share your answers with a friend or family member. Then it's quiz time!
What state of matter are you? Think about it, you have solid bones, liquid blood, and gas inside your lungs. Can you be classified as just one state? Why or why not?
One of the examples of plasma we talked about was the Aurora Borealis. This natural light show can be found in Northern regions like Alaska, Northern Canada, Scandinavia, and Greenland. What do you think it was like when humans first saw these lights in the sky? What would your explanation be if you saw this phenomenon and didn't know what it was?
Can you think of something that's less dense as a solid than it is as a liquid? Hint: it's refreshing on a hot day
About the Author
Rainbow*
There are so many colors of the rainbow, and she likes to use every one! When Rainbow graduated from high school, she went to Kent State University to study fine art, but found that her favorite time of year was the time she spent working at summer camps in between semesters. If you've been to an Ohio Girl Scout camp lately, you've probably seen her there! After earning a BFA in painting and sculpture, she came to Nuhop to work in a camp setting year-round. Her favorite activities are campfires, the high ropes course, and rock climbing. She can't wait to see the smiling faces of all her campers when they come to Nuhop once again!
*The Nuhop Outdoor Education Staff use "nature names" when working with students. The reason for these nature names is twofold: first it gives them a built-in conversation starter with students, and second, it provides them a level of personal privacy when working with over 4000 students in a given year.