Chapter 07

Properties of matter

Q1) Why a small needle sinks in water and huge ships travel easily in
water without sinking?
Ans) The water displace by a small needle is less than its weight. So.
The upthrust acting on the needle is less than the weight of the needle.
While, in case of huge ship, the weight of water displaced is greater
than weight of ship, So, the upthrust acting on the ship is greater than
the weight of the ship. Therefore a small needle sinks in water but a
huge ship floats.

Q2) Explain how and why camels have adapted to allow them to walk
more easily in desert conditions?
Ans) The camels have feet with large surface area; therefore the
camel’s feet exert less pressure on sand and properly distributed its
weight on sand. As a result of less pressure they can walk in desert
easily.

Q3) You would have probably experienced your ears ‘popping’ while
driving in the mountains. Why ears ‘pop’?
Ans) In plane area, the pressure of air inside the ears and outside
remains the same, so we feel comfortable men we drive a car in
mountains as height increases the atmospheric pressure decreases. At
this stage the pressure of air inside the ear is higher than outside
pressure. So, the ear drum is stressed outwards due to higher inner
pressure of the ear. This high pressure air pushes out through a tube
into our throat with bubble – popping sound. So the reason of our ears
pop while driving in mountain is due to the escape of high pressure air
from the inner ear region.

Q4) If you filled an airtight balloon at the top of a mountain, would

the balloon expand or contract as you descend the mountain? Explain.
Ans) At the top of mountains, the air pressure is lower as compared to
plane area. So low pressure will be filled in a balloon at the top of
mountain. When we descend the mountain, the air pressure Increases.
Thus, the outside air pressure becomes higher than air pressure inside
the balloon. The higher atmospheric pressure force the walls of the
balloon inwards, due to which the balloon contracts.

Q5) A rowboat is floating in a swimming pool when the anchor is

dropped over the side. When the anchor is dropped, will the water
level in the swimming pool increase, decrease, or remain the same?
Explain.
Ans) When the anchor is in the boat, the water is dispatched more due
to combine weight of boat and anchor. When anchor is dropped in
water, it will displace an amount of water equal to its volume. The
water displaced by weight is more than water displaced by volume. So
when the anchor is chopped in water, pe level of water in pool
decreases.

Q6) Which material is more elastic, or rubber and why?

Ans) Steel is more elastic than rubber because steel produce more
resistance against the deforming force than rubber. So, more
deforming force is required to deform steel while rubber can be easily
deformed. As we know that the young’s modulus of rubber is 1.40 x
106 Nm^-2 and steel is 20 x 10^20 Nm- Therefore, steel is more elastic
than rubber.

Q7) Why water tanks are construed at the highest level in our
houses?
Ans) Water has the ability to maintain its level. The pressure of water
increases with height. Thus for the easy flow of water in a pipe system,
the water tanks are constructed at highest level in our houses.

Q8) Why water tanks are construed at highest level in our houses?
Ans) As highest increases gravitational P.E increases, as water will come
down potential energy of water will change into kinetic energy, so
water can distributed into different ducts with pressure.

Q9) Why is it difficult to hold a school bag having a strap made of a

thin and strong string?
Ans) It is difficult to hold a school bag having a thin strap because the
pressure on the shoulders is quite large. This is because the pressure is
inversely proportional to the surface area on which the force The
smatter is the surface area; the larger will be the pressure on the
surface. In the case of a thin strap, the contact surface area is very
small. Hence, the pressure exerted on the shoulder is very large.
Q10) Why does a ship remain afloat on water? Is it due to the same
reason that a razor blade also float on water?
Ans) A ship has a lot of hollow spaces (filled with air) because of which
the overall density of the ship becomes less than water; Therefore the
immersed portion of the ship displaces water equal to its weight, and it
floats. No, razor blade/Paper clip can float on water, due to high
surface tension of water This is because surface of water acts as a thin
film which is capable of resisting small tensile force (Tensile force is
the stretching forces acting on the material) which is due to surface
tension.

Q11) Why is it easier for a person to swim in sea water than in fresh
water?
Ans) It is because sea water contains more amount of salt as compared
to river/fresh water as a result its density increases and hence the
buoyant force increases which makes it easier to swim in sea water

Q12) Identify the reasons why an egg sinks in pure water, it will float
on salt water ?
Ans) As pure water has lower density it has less buoyancy. Saline water
has greater density and has greater density and has greater buoyancy.
So an egg sinker in pure water and floats on salt water.

Q13) Identify the reasons why Kerosene float on water.

Ans) Kerosene is less dense than water. The density of water is 1000
kg/m3 and kerosene is 810 kg/m3
When something is less dense than the water then it floats on water.
Hence, kerosene floats on water.

Q14) Why does a paper dip remain a float on die liquid surface?
Ans) Actually the paper clip does not float but it holds up by the
cohesive forces of surface tension and appear as floating. The same
science is being used by the tiny insects to walk across the water
surface of the lakes.

Q15) In sea water, the pressure at a certain depth in sea water is more
than that at the same
Depth in river water. Explain Why?
Ans) The reason is that the density of sea water is more than the
density of river water.

Q16) Why do sea divers need special protective suit?

Ans) It is due to the great pressure exerted on the diver’s body at the
depth oi the sea. The total pressure exerted is much more than his
blood pressure. Consequently, to withstand that sea divers require
Special protective suit.

Q17) What makes a sucker pressed on a smooth wall sticks to it?

 Ans) The sucker is dish shaped, when pressed against a smooth surface
the air is forced from beneath the
Sucker. The rubber makes an air tight seal and the air pressure outside
is greater than the air pressure beneath the sucker. Thus forcing the
rubber sucker to sink.

Q18) Why does the atmospheric pressure vary with height?

Ans) Atmospheric pressure reduces with altitude for two reasons –
both related to gravity.
1) The gravitational attraction (g) between the earth and air molecules is
greater for those molecules nearer to earth than those further away –
they have more weight – dragging them closer together and increasing
the pressure (force per unit area) between them.
2) Molecules further away from the earth have less weight (because
gravitational attraction is less) but they are also ‘standing’ on the
molecules below them, causing compression. Those lower down have
to support more molecules above them and are further compressed in
the process.
It is the gravitational force minus the effect of the Earth’s spin (an effect
that is greatest at the equator).

Q19) What changes are expected in weather if the barometer reading

shows a sudden increase?
Ans) On the other hand, an increasing atmospheric pressure with a
decline later on predicts an intense weather conditions. A gradual large
increase in the atmospheric pressure indicates a long spell of pleasant
weather. A rapid increase in atmospheric pressure means that it will
soon be followed by a decrease in the atmospheric pressure indicating
poor weather ahead.

Q20) Explain the working of hydraulic press.

Ans) Hydraulic press is a machine which works on Pascal’s law. It
consists of two cylinders of different areas. They ere fitted with pistons
of cross-sectional areas a and A. The object to be %mpressed is placed
over the piston of large cross-sectional area A. The force Fi is applied on
the
Of small cross-sectional area a. The pressure P produced by small piston
is transmitted equally to the large piston and a force F2 acts on A which
is much larger than Fl.

Q21) Show that atmosphere exerts pressure ?

Atmospheric Pressure:
Ans) Earth is surrounded by a cover of air called atmosphere. It
extends to a few hundred above sea level. Just as certain sea
creatures live at the bottom of ocean, we live at the bottom of a huge
ocean of air. Air is a mixture of gases. The density of air in the
atmosphere is not uniform, it decreases continuously as we go up.
Atmospheric pressure acts in all directions Experiment:
Take an empty tin can with a lid. Open its cap and put some water in it.
Place it over flame. Wait till water begins to boil and the steam expels
the air out of the can. Remove it from the flame- Close the can firmly by
its cap. Now place the can under tap water. The can -will squeeze due
to atmospheric pressure. When the can is cooled by tap water, the
steam in ‘t condenses. As the steam charges into water, it leaves an
empty space behind it. This lowers the pressure inside the can as
compared to the atmospheric pressure outside the can. This will cause
the can to collapse from a] directions. This experiment shows that
atmosphere exerts pressure in all directions. The fact can also be
demonstrated by collapsing of an empty plastic bottle when air is
sucked out of it.

Q22) Explain how a submarine moves up the water surface and down
into water.
Ans) Ships and submarines: solution:
A Submarine can travel over as well as under water. It also works on
the principle of floatation. Over water when the weight of water equal
to its volume is greater than its weight. Under this it is similar to a ship
and remains partially above water level. It has a system of tanks which
can be with and emptied from seawater. When these tanks are filled
with seawater, the weight of submarine increases. As soon as its weight
becomes greater than the upthrust, it dives into water and remains
under water. To come up on the surface, the tanks are emptied from
seawater.

Q23) Why does a piece of stone sink in water but a ship with a huge
weight floats?

Ans: It is due to Archimedes. Principle. Density of ship is less it displace

more liquid, experience more upward thrust and floats where as
density of stone is more, it displace less liquid experience less upward
thrust and sinks.

Q24) Take a rubber band. Construct a balance of your own using a

rubber band. Check its accuracy by weighing various objects?
Ans: We know that the length of a rubber band increases on stretching
it. Similarly, the pointer of a spring balance is lowered when a body is
suspended from it. It is because the length of the spring inside the
balance increases depending upon the weight of the suspended body. A
rubber band scale be fairly accurate, but only for a short time.
Eventually the rubber band will begin to stretch and wear out, A better
scale may be made by substituting a metal spring for the rubber band.
Such a scale Will be just as accurate, and because the spring is made of
metal it will last much longer.

Q25) Does there exist a fourth state of matter? What is that?

Ans) Yes fourth state of matter is called plasma