CHAPTER-1(MATTER IN OUR SURROUNDINGS)

NOTES

Matter
Air, water, stones, sand, clouds, pencils, books – Everything is made up of matter. Matter is
everything in this universe that occupies space and has mass.
Constituents of Matter
According to the early Indian philosophers, every living and non-living thing is made of five basic
elements called the Panchtatava – Air, Water, Earth, Sky, and Fire. Therefore, matter is a
composition of these five constituents.
Physical Nature of Matter

Matter is particulate in nature. This means that matter consists of particles as you can see in the
microscopic image of a cube above.
For Example, If we put a drop of red color in water the color of the water turns red. This happens
because the particles of red color mix with the particles of water.

 The size of the particles of matter is very small.

 They can be broken into further particles as well. For Example, On dilution of a colorful solution, as
shown in the figure below, we can still see the color. This means there are millions of particles
present in the color which just divide themselves on dilution.
 Characteristics of Particles of Matter
Particles of matter have these characteristics:
1. Particles of matter are very small.
2. Particles of matter have spaces between them
3. Particles of matter are continuously moving.
4. Particles of matter attract each other.
Particles of Matter have spaces between them
Have you ever wondered what causes salt to get dissolved in water?
Salt gets dissolved in water because their particles have spaces between them. The particles of the salt
get in between the spaces between the particles of water and a mixture is formed.

 We cannot see these particles through naked eyes.

Particles of Matter are continuously moving

Particles are continuously moving

 Particles of matter are in motion all the time. Hence, they possess kinetic energy.
 Kinetic Energy – Energy due to motion
 The particles of a matter intermix on their own with other particles of a matter. For Example, Salt in
water, Various gases in the air, Ink in water.
 Diffusion – The process of mixing two different types of particles together is called diffusion.
Diffusion becomes faster on heating.
 The kinetic energy of particles also increases on heating.
Particles of Matter attract each other
 The particles of matter are always held together because of a force of attraction between them.
 The amount of this force between the particles varies in different forms of matter.
 Solids have the highest force of attraction. That is why we cannot move our hands through a solid
object. The particles are so tightly bound.
 Similarly, particles of gases have the least force of attraction in them. We can move our hands easily
in the air. This is because the particles of air are loosely bound.
 We can also move our hands through water or liquid matter but not as freely as we can in the air.
This means that they are also loosely bound to some extent.
We can arrange the force of attraction between different types of matter (solids, liquids, and gases) in
increasing order as: Gas < Liquid < Solids
States of Matter
Now we know that particles of matter have a force of attraction between them. Based on this
criterion, we can say that matter is present in three different states: solid state, liquid state, and
gaseous state. In addition to these states of matter, two more states of matter are- Plasma and Bose
Einstein Condensate (BEC)
 The Solid State
 Solids have these three properties:
 They have a specific shape.
 They have distinct boundaries.
 They have a volume.
 There is less kinetic energy among the particles in solids. They are generally arranged in an order.
Thus they possess a fixed shape. They cannot be compressed.
 The force of attraction is the maximum among the particles of solids. There is not much space
between the particles. Therefore, they cannot be compressed.
A rubber band and sponge change their shape only when we apply force on to them. It might appear
to you as if salt is taking the shape of the container in which you put it but actually each of its grain
has its own definite shape.
Sponge has air pores in it. When force is applied on it, it gets compressed. When force is released, it
regains its shape as air get again filled in the pores.
The Liquid State
 Liquids have the following properties:
 Liquids have a fixed volume
 Liquids do not have a fixed shape.
 The force of attraction in liquid particles is less than solids. Therefore, there is a space between the
particles of liquids and they can flow easily. They cannot be compressed. That is why they are also
called fluids.
You might have seen that liquids take the shape of the container in which we put them. This is
because the particles of liquids have a high kinetic energy, they always keep on moving.
 Matter can diffuse into liquids whether it is solids, liquids, or gases. This is so because there is a
space between the particles of liquid so particles of other matter can slip into those spaces.
 Diffusing solids into liquids: Mixing sugar in tea
 Diffusing liquids into liquids: Mixing ink in water
 Diffusing gases into liquids: The presence of oxygen and carbon dioxide in water
The Gaseous State
 Gases have the following properties:
 They do not have a fixed volume.
 They do not have a fixed shape.
 The particles of gases have the least or almost no force of attraction between them. Therefore, the
particles have a large number of spaces between them and they can freely move in any direction.
 Also, they can be easily compressed and put into a small container, unlike solids and liquids.
  Since there is a lot of space between the particles, different gases can diffuse into each other easily.
 The kinetic energy between the particles is the maximum in the case of gases. Therefore, the
particles move around freely at high speed and there is no fixed shape of gases.
Difference in the characteristics of states of matter

Solid Liquid Gas

Definite shape Indefinite shape Indefinite shape
Definite volume Definite volume Indefinite volume
Maximum force of attraction between Less forces of attraction between Negligible force of attraction
particles particles compare to solid between particles
Cannot be compressed Cannot be compressed Can be compressed
Kinetic energy of particles is more Kinetic energy of particles is
Kinetic energy of particles is minimum
than solid maximum
Particles cannnot move rather they vibrate
Particles can slide over one another Particles can move freely
only at their fixed position
Highest density Density is lower than solid Lowest denisty
Cannot flow Flow Flow

Plasma
 It is fourth state of matter in which the particles are super excited and super energetic. They are in
the form of ionized gases.
 For Example – Fluorescent tubes and neon light bulbs consist of plasma
 The neon bulbs contain neon gas and there is another gas such as helium in the fluorescent tube. As
electricity is passed in the tube or the bulb, these gases get ionized and this creates the plasma inside
them that glows.
 In fact, the Sun and the stars glow being in plasma state. Here are some examples of Plasma:
 Bose-Einstein Condensate (BEC)
 It is the fifth state of matter discovered by Albert Einstein on the basis of the studies conducted by
an Indian scientist Satyendra Nath Bose.
 BEC is formed by condensing gases of extremely low densities to much lower temperatures.
 Inter conversion of states of Matter
Water exists in three states:
 Ice – solid
 Water – liquid
 Water Vapor – Gas
This is an indication that matter can change its states.
Effect of Change of Temperature

1. Solids:
 As we heat solids, the kinetic energy between the particles of solids increases which decreases the
force of attraction between them.
 They start vibrating and changing their positions. Slowly, due to heat the particles become free and a
solid converts into liquid.
 Melting Point – The temperature at which solid melts to become a liquid at atmospheric
pressure. For Example, the melting point of ice is 273.16 Kelvin.
 Fusion – The process of melting of a solid into liquid is called Fusion.

 In the melting process, once a solid reaches its melting point, its temperature does not increase
further. The heat present in the solid at time of melting is used by the particles to diminish the force
of attraction between each other. The heat energy is therefore considered as hidden.
 Latent Heat – The heat energy which is used to break the force of attraction between the particles of
matter is known as latent heat. Since the heat is hidden therefore it is called as Latent Heat.
 Latent Heat of Fusion – The amount of heat energy required to change 1 kg of a solid into liquid at
atmospheric pressure at its melting point is known as the Latent Heat of Fusion.
 Atmospheric Pressure – Pressure exerted by the weight of the atmosphere.
2. Liquids:
 Just like in solids, the kinetic energy of particles of liquid increases, the force of attraction among
them decreases and they start moving freely.
 As we keep on supplying the heat, a point comes when the particles overcome the forces of attraction
completely.
 This is when a liquid starts changing into gas.
Boiling Point - The temperature at which a liquid starts boiling at the atmospheric pressure is known
as its Boiling Point. For Example, The boiling point of water is 373 Kelvin.
 Latent Heat of Vaporization – The amount of heat energy required to change 1 kg of a liquid into a
gas at atmospheric pressure at its boiling point is known as Latent Heat of Vaporization.
What happens when temperature is decreased?
1. Gases:
 The kinetic energy between the particles decreases and they turn into a liquid state.
 Condensation / Liquefaction – The process of converting a gas into a liquid by cooling down its
temperature. For Example, The formation of clouds is due to condensation of water vapor from
Earth.
2. Liquids:
 The kinetic energy between the particles decreases and they turn into a solid state. For Example,
The formation of ice.
 Sublimation – change of state of a gas directly into solid and vice-versa is known as
sublimation. For Example, Camphor is a solid that directly evaporates into the air without changing
to a liquid state.
Therefore, by increasing or decreasing the temperature we can change the states of matter into one
another. Here is a diagram that sums this up.
 Effect of change of Pressure
 By applying pressure, we can bring the particles of matter close to each other thereby, increasing the
force of attraction among the particles.
 When we compress and decrease the temperature of a gas, the gas changes into a liquid.
 Dry Ice – Carbon dioxide in solid form is known as Dry Ice. It can directly turn into gas by
decreasing the pressure to 1 atmosphere.
Evaporation

 We already know that –

 Particles of matter are never at rest
 Particles of matter possess different amounts of kinetic energy
 The particles of liquids have more kinetic energy. Therefore, they are able to overcome the forces of
attraction and convert into vapor without any external forces.
 Evaporation – The phenomenon of change of a liquid into vapors at any given temperature below
its boiling point is called Evaporation. Evaporation is different than boiling, as shown in the figure
below.
 Factors Affecting Evaporation

Condition Rate of Evaporation Reason

Particles have more space and
Increase in Surface Area Increases
thus can evaporate easily
Kinetic energy among the
Increase in temperature Increases
particles increases
Water content in air increases and
Increase in humidity Decreases
so evaporation decreases
Water vapours are blown away by
Increase in wind speed Increases
winds allowing more evaporation
Evaporation causes cooling
The process of evaporation uses the energy of the liquid particles. Therefore, the particles absorb
energy from the surroundings in order to compensate the energy that is being lost in the process of
evaporation. This results in cooling of the surrounding area.

 For Example:
 Our palms feel cool when we put some acetone (nail paint remover) on it
 People sprinkle water on their roofs or ground on sunny days to cool the area
 We are able to sip hot tea faster in a saucer than in a cup
Why people wear cotton clothes in summer?
We perspire more in summer. As the sweat evaporates it takes energy from our body surface and
keeps our body cool. Cotton can absorb the sweat easily and exposes it to the atmosphere causing
evaporation to take place easily. This, in turn, keeps us cool in summer days.
Why water droplets appear on the surroundings of a glass with ice-cold water?
There are water vapours present in the air. When they come in contact with the walls of the glass that
has ice-cold water in it they condense. As a result, their state changes from gaseous state to liquid
state thus forming tiny water droplets on the walls of the glass.