Download Stuff Matters Handout

Matter is the Stuff Around You
Name: ____________________________________ P: ____
Matter is everything around you. Matter is anything made of atoms and molecules. Matter is anything
that has mass and takes up space. If you are new to the idea of mass, it is the amount of stuff in an
object. Matter is sometimes related to light and electromagnetic radiation. Even though matter can be
found all over the Universe, you only find it in a few forms. As of 1995, scientists
have identified five physical states of matter (we will be concerned with only
three). Each of those states is sometimes called a phase. They may even
discover one more state by the time you get old like me.
Five States of Matter
You should know about solids, liquids, gases, plasmas, and one state called the Bose-Einstein
condensate (BEC). Scientists have always known about solids, liquids, and gases. What makes a
state of matter? It's about the physical state of the molecules and atoms. Solids (s) are often hard
and brittle, and their molecules are really close together. They form a crystal lattice structure. Liquids
(l) are all fluidy at room temperature, they are in-between solids and gases. Gases (g) are there, but
you usually smell them before you can see them. You don't see them because their molecules are
really far apart. The BEC is all about molecules that are really close to each other (even closer than
atoms in a solid).
Removing Energy
The State Symbols
Gas (g), Liquid (l), Solid (s), Aqueous (aq).
The state symbols are in the parenthesis!
Aqueous = aqua = is a substance dissolved in water!
Example: NaCl (aq) – salt water!
Changing States of Matter
Elements and compounds can move from one physical state to another and
not change their basic atomic parts. Oxygen (O2) as a gas still has the
same properties as liquid oxygen. The liquid state is colder and denser,
but the molecules (the basic parts) are still the same. Water (H2O) is
another example. A water molecule is made up of two hydrogen (H)
atoms and one oxygen (O) atom. It has the same molecular structure
whether it is a gas, liquid, or solid. Although its physical state may change,
its chemical state remains the same. State changes are physical changes.
So you're asking (or probably not asking), “What is a chemical change?” Let’s start with a glass of
pure water. If the formula of water were to change, that would be a chemical change. If you could
just add a second oxygen atom, you would have hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). The molecules in your
glass would not be water anymore. A chemical change happens when the atoms in a molecule
are moved around or when atoms are added or taken away. Chemical changes happen when
bonds between atoms are created or destroyed. Changing physical states of matter is about changing
densities, pressures, temperatures, and other physical properties. The basic chemical structure does
not change when there is a physical change.
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How to Distinguish Pure Substances and Mixtures
Chemists can classify matter as solid, liquid, or gas. But there are other ways to classify matter, as
well — such as pure substances and mixtures. Classification is one of the basic processes in
science. All matter can be classified as either a pure substance or a mixture.
The classification of matter.
Pure substances
A pure substance has a definite and constant composition — like salt or sugar. A pure substance can
be either an element or a compound, but the composition of a pure substance doesn’t vary.
Elements
An element is composed of a single kind of atom. An atom is the smallest particle of an element that
still has all the properties of the element. (An element has the 1st letter capital, 2nd letter lowercase, like Co).
Here’s an example: Gold is an element. If you slice and slice a chunk of gold until only one tiny
particle is left that can’t be chopped any more
without losing the properties that make gold gold,
then you’ve got an atom. Atoms are small!!
The atoms in an element all have the same number
of protons. Protons are subatomic particles —
particles of an atom. Elements are the basic
building blocks of matter. For the most part, you
cannot change from one element to another (at least easily, nuclear chemistry is another story).
Compounds
A compound is composed of two or more different elements in a specific ratio
(chemically). For example, water is a compound made up of two elements,
hydrogen (H) and oxygen (O). These elements are combined in a very specific way
— in a ratio of two hydrogen atoms to one oxygen atom, known as:
Many compounds contain hydrogen and oxygen, but only one has that special 2 to 1 ratio we call
water. The compound water has physical and chemical properties different from both hydrogen and
oxygen — water’s properties are a unique combination of the two elements.
Chemists can’t easily separate the components of a compound: They have to resort to some type of
chemical reaction.
Mixtures
Mixtures are physical combinations of pure substances that have no definite or
constant composition — the composition of a mixture varies according to who
prepares the mixture.
Although chemists have a difficult time separating compounds into their specific
elements, the different parts of a mixture can be easily separated by physical means, such as
filtration.
For example, suppose you have a mixture of salt and sand, and you want to purify the sand by
removing the salt. You can do this by adding water, dissolving the salt, and then filtering the mixture.
You then end up with pure sand.
Mixtures can be either homogeneous or heterogeneous:

A homogeneous mixture, sometimes called a solution, is relatively uniform in composition;
every portion of the mixture is like every other portion (looks the same throughout)
For example, if you dissolve sugar in water and mix it really well, your mixture is basically the
same no matter where you sample it.

A heterogeneous mixture is a mixture whose composition varies from position to position within
the sample (looks different throughout)
For example, if you put some sugar in
a jar, add some sand, and then give
the jar a couple of shakes, your
mixture doesn’t have the same
composition throughout the jar.
Because the sand is heavier, there’s
probably more sand at the bottom of
the jar and more sugar at the top.
Interesting Facts

Dolphins sleep with one eye open. Dolphins sleep only with one half of their brain at a time. Dolphins
are conscious breathers. Should they sleep and go unconscious as we do they would simply suffocate or
drown. Sleeping dolphins can be seen as resting, floating at the surface, with one eye open. After a time,
they will close the one eye and open the other one. They alternate like this throughout their entire nap.

How many golf balls are there on the moon? 2. Alan Shepard brought two golf balls on Apollo 14,
which he hit on February 6, 1971.

Birds speak to humans? The Maasai people of Africa
whistle and communicate with the Honey Guide bird. The
bird has a special call that it only uses when communicating
with humans. They help the Maasai find honeycomb: the
bird’s call changes as the Maasai get closer and closer to
the honeycomb, flying tree to tree, stopping to wait for the
people to catch up. So, why does the Honey Guide help the
Maasai? The Maasai return the favor and give the bird
some of the honeycomb. If they didn’t give back, the bird
could lead them into harm’s way the next time.

Fire ants can form unsinkable rafts. This species was accidentally brought over from Brazil to the
United States in the 1930s. They have thrived because they have great survival skills and are more
aggressive than other ants. One of their most impressive abilities shows when there is an increase in
water level. If this happens, the colony comes together in the shape of a raft or ball that is able to float.
The workers stay on the outside and the queen stays safe inside. Once they come to a stationary
object, they swarm it and wait for the water levels to come down. (Vid: http://goo.gl/n5yAl)
Questions to Try
1. Label the following as either elements (E) or compounds (C):
CO _________________ NaCl _________________ Cu _________________ Br2 _________________
2. Label the state of matter the following are in (look at the state symbols!):
CO (g) _______________ NaCl (aq) _______________ Cu (s) _______________ Br2 (l) _______________
3. If you heat up a gas (or add energy), what state of matter would it become? _______________
4. If you cooled a liquid (or removed energy), what state of matter would it become? __________
5. Out of the three main states (g, l, s), which state of matter has the particles far apart? _______
6. The “gold” penny we produced last week was made by mixing two metals: copper and zinc.
Based on the definitions of mixture and compounds earlier, would you label your alloy penny a
compound or mixture? ___________________________.
Show your teacher when completed for credit! Teacher’s Initials for Completion: