2

PARTICLE
MODEL
There are three
2.1 states of matter

Scientists’ understanding of matter

2.2

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has developed over thousands of years

PL
2.3 The particle model explains matter
M
What if?
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M&Ms
The particle model can explain
2.4 the properties of matter
What you need:
M&Ms (red is best), 250 mL beaker

What to do:
1 Pour 100 mL of water into the
beaker.
2 Place one M&M in the centre of
the beaker.
3 Allow the water and the red
M&M to settle.
Increasing kinetic energy in
2.5 matter causes it to expand
4 Time how long the colour takes
to reach the walls of the beaker.

What if?
» What if the water were warm?
Would the colour move faster or
slower
» What if the water were chilled?
» What if you stirred the water?

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 2.1 There are three states
of matter
Matter is the name given to all substances. There are three major states
of matter – solid, liquid and gas. Solids, liquids and gases are all around
us. Steel, concrete, wood and plastic are all solids. Water and cooking oil
are liquids. Carbon dioxide is a common gas – you can see it as bubbles in
soft drinks. Air is a mixture of gases. The smell of a barbecue is caused
by gases that leave the food as it is being cooked. Many substances can be
found in more than one state.

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Solids, liquids and gases water. The ocean is liquid and the iceberg is
solid. There is also water vapour, which is a
Water is the most common substance that we
Ice = solid PL
experience in its different states of matter.
Solid water is ice. We are all familiar with
liquid water, and water as a gas is known
as water vapour. In the freezer, liquid water
solidifies into ice. On a cold night, frost (solid)
gas, in the air. Clouds are made of small liquid
water droplets. All of these different states of
water are made of the same ‘building blocks’,
or water particles.
Often substances can be described as just
one state. However, some substances seem
forms water vapour (gas) in the air. On a warm
to be made of more than one state of matter.
day, puddles (liquid) will evaporate to become
Sometimes we can see the states of a mixture,
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water vapour.
such as in honeycomb confectionary, which is a
Although the ocean and iceberg shown combination of solid, liquid and gas. But other
in Figure 2.2 may look and behave very times it is difficult to tell the state of mixtures.
differently, they are both different forms of How would you classify slime or jelly?
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Drink = liquid
Bubbles = gas
(carbon dioxide)

Figure 2.1 A glass of

iced lemonade contains
the three states of
matter.

Figure 2.2 Solid water floats on liquid water.

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 EXPERIMENT 2.1: COMPARING STATES OF MATTER EXPERIMENT 2.1A: THREE STATES OF WATER
GO TO PAGE 182 GO TO PAGE 183

Figure 2.4 Liquid water. When most of us

think of water, we think of the liquid form
that comes out of our taps. Liquid water sits
at the bottom of cups and flows smoothly
over surfaces. Water can fit into containers
of all shapes and sizes. It is flexible.

E
Figure 2.3 Honeycomb is a combination of solid
and gas. Or is it?

Change of state
PL
The temperature that causes water to become a
solid is called its freezing temperature. If heat
is added back to the solid water, the ice melts.
This temperature is called the melting point.
M
The process of making a gas from water is
called evaporation. The temperature at which Figure 2.5 Solid water. When heat is
the gas or vapour starts to form is called the removed from liquid water, the movement
of the water slows. The water has been
boiling point. If heat is removed from the
solidified. This is the solid form of water
steam, the gaseous water slows its movement called ice. Like all solids, ice holds its shape
until it once again forms liquid water. This
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even when it is tipped from a container.

process is called condensation.

Figure 2.6 Gas water. When heat is added

to liquid water, the water starts to move
faster. Eventually it becomes a gas called
water vapour. The gas has much more
energy than a liquid or solid. It does not
sit at the bottom of a container. Instead it
moves freely around the whole container.

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 Add heat energy

Melting point is the Boiling point is the

temperature at which a temperature at which a
solid changes to a liquid liquid changes to a gas
(melting) (evaporation)

a b c

Melting Boiling

0°C 100°C

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Freezing Condensing

Solidification (or freezing) is

PL Condensation occurs when a
when a liquid changes to a solid gas changes to a liquid
M
Remove heat energy (cool down)

Figure 2.7 Adding or removing heat energy can change the state of water.
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Describing matter Physical properties are what we can

observe and measure without changing the
The properties of a substance are the
substance into something else. Examples of
characteristics that make it unique. Solids,
physical properties are colour, texture, boiling
liquids and gases have unique properties.
point, density, heat capacity and how easily the
Solids do not change their shape and cannot be
substance can dissolve other substances or be
compressed. Liquids cannot be compressed and
dissolved itself.
change their shape to fit the container holding
them. Gases completely fill the container Chemical properties are what a substance
holding them and can be compressed. Some does in a chemical reaction. Examples include
substances are important to us because of bubbling, permanent colour change and
particular properties. For example, one permanent change of state.
property of water is that is can be used to Table 2.1 Properties of water.
dissolve many other substances. This makes
PHYSICAL PROPERTY VALUE
water useful for cleaning clothes, cooking and
experiments in a chemistry laboratory. Melting point 0°C

The properties of substances can be divided Boiling point 100°C

into two groups: physical and chemical Colour Colourless
properties. Density 1.00 g/mL at 25°C

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 Figure 2.8 You can
sometimes see
condensation when you
breathe out on a cold
morning. The water gas
in your breath becomes
a fine liquid when it hits
the cold air, making

E
what is commonly
called ‘dragon breath’.

Check your learning 2.1

Remember and understand
1 Group the following substances
according to their state of matter
PL
as a solid, liquid or a gas, or even
a combination of states: ice cream,
b highest melting point?
c lowest boiling point?
d highest boiling point?

SUBSTANCE MELTING BOILING

chocolate bar, clouds, thick smoke, POINT (°C) POINT (°C)
glass, honey, cake or bread, mashed
Water 0 100
M
potato, paper, peanut butter (smooth),
cling wrap, play dough, sand, steam, Iron 1535 2750
slime. Lead 327 1750
2 Describe what happens to water when Mercury –39 357
it: Table salt 805 1413
a evaporates
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Oxygen –219 –183

b condenses Nitrogen –210 –196
c freezes.
3 By applying heat to liquid water, what 9 Decide whether the following
could happen to its state? properties are physical or chemical:
4 What is meant by a property of a the ability to be hammered into flat
substance? sheets (malleability), the ability
to explode, the amount of vapour
5 Why are the properties of matter so released at different temperatures.
important to us?
10 Select a common substance, such as
6 What are the similarities and cling wrap or vinegar. Name some
differences between physical and of the physical properties of this
chemical properties? substance.
Apply and analyse Evaluate and create
7 What is the: 11 A student claimed a frozen drink bottle
a melting point of water? was leaking because condensation
b boiling point of water? had formed on the outside of the
8 Refer to the table below. Which container. How would you explain to
substance has the: the student where the condensed
water came from?
a lowest melting point?

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 2.2 Scientists’ understanding
of matter has developed
over thousands of years
Science involves developing hypotheses, testing them with reproducible experiments and
modifying ideas. When an idea becomes supported by all the current evidence, then it becomes
a theory. The particle theory of matter has been tested and refined by scientists for more than
2000 years.

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Democritus
Over 2400 years ago, Democritus, a Greek

PL
philosopher, put forward the idea that that all
matter is made up of particles. He proposed
that if you were to cut up these particles
into smaller and smaller pieces, you would
eventually have tiny particles that could not
be cut up any more. Democritus called these
particles atomos, which is Greek for ‘indivisible’.
This is the origin of the word atom.
M
John Dalton
It was not until more than 2000 years later,
in the early 1800s, that the Englishman John
Dalton developed Democritus’s idea further.
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Dalton’s ideas were based on the results Figure 2.9 Democritus (c. 460–370 BCE)
of experiments performed by many earlier proposed that all matter is made of atoms.
chemists. Dalton studied these results and
proposed a model to explain them. His model
was that matter is made of particles.
Dalton’s ideas are outlined below.
> All matter consists of tiny particles called
atoms.
> Atoms cannot be created or destroyed, and
are indivisible.
> All atoms of the same element are identical,
but different from atoms of other elements.
> When atoms combine to form compounds,
each atom keeps its identity.
> Atoms combine to form compounds called
molecules in simple whole number ratios.
For example, hydrogen and oxygen com-
bine in a ratio of 2:1 to form water, now
written as H2O. Figure 2.10 John Dalton (1766–1844) developed
Democritus’s ideas about particles.

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 Solids Liquids Gases
The particles are close The particles are close The particles are far
together. They are held together, but they can apart and move quickly
in a regular arrangement move and slide over on their own. They spread
and vibrate around each other. out to fill the space
a fixed point. available to them.

Modern chemistry
This new understanding encouraged scientists
to find out more and more about these tiny

E
particles, eventually leading to the branch of
science now called chemistry.
We can add some new ideas to Dalton’s list
to help us explain matter. H2O
> Particles are too small to be seen.
> Particles are always moving. When it is
PL
hotter, the particles move faster; when it is
cooler, the particles move slower.
> Particles have mass.
> Particles can join to make larger particles.
When they combine, their masses add
M
together.
> There are spaces between particles.
> Forces hold particles together to stop them
from separating. Figure 2.11 A glass of water is made of
molecules. Each molecule contains two
All these ideas or rules explain how
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hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom.

particles act in real substances. The real
particles follow these rules in all substances.

Check your learning 2.2

Remember and understand of this analogy represent a solid, a
1 What was the major difference liquid and a gas.
between the ideas proposed by 4 Some people use analogies or models
Democritus and Dalton? to compare states of matter. What
2 How is an ‘idea’ different from a states do the following situations most
‘theory’? closely represent?
a A swarm of bees crawling over
Apply and analyse each other.
3 Consider a school assembly. Everyone
b A thousand tennis balls tidily
is sitting quietly in their seats in rows.
arranged in a large cardboard box.
When the assembly finishes, there
is a crowd at the doors pushing to go c Eggs in trays in a large egg
through them to leave. When outside, container.
the students run off in all directions as d A school of fish darting in all
fast as they can. Explain which parts directions as they avoid a predator.

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 2.3 The particle model
explains matter
Matter is made of extremely small particles called atoms, which are difficult
to visualise because they are so tiny. If we imagine the atoms as being tiny
balls, then we are using a model or an analogy. By imagining how the balls
would behave if the substance were melting, dissolving or heated, we are
comparing the atoms to the balls. This is the particle model of matter.

The kinetic theory of matter Particle energy

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The particle model of matter is always true. The movement of people and particles is related
Every observation and every experiment can be to their kinetic (movement) energy.
explained with this model. > When people are sitting quietly, they have

PL
In the particle model of matter, the
particles are always moving. The word ‘kinetic’
refers to the energy of anything that is moving.
Therefore particles always have kinetic energy.
The faster they move, the more kinetic energy
they have. For this reason, the particle model
little kinetic energy. This is like a solid,
where the particles only vibrate.
> In a crowd, people are standing and moving
around and have more kinetic energy.
This is like a liquid, where the particles
jostle about. Particles in a liquid have more
can also be called the kinetic theory of matter. kinetic energy than particles in a solid.
> When people are running, they have much
M
more kinetic energy. This is like a gas,
where the particles move fast and on their
own. Particles in a gas have the highest
amount of kinetic energy.
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Using the kinetic theory of

matter
The kinetic theory of matter can be used
to explain many of the observations and
measurements that we make about the
substances around us.
Mass is the amount of matter in a substance
and is measured in kilograms (kg).

Solid Gas

Figure 2.12 Some of the energy in storms comes from the condensation of Figure 2.13 A container of a solid has more
vapour into liquid, which we see as rain. particles than the same container of gas.

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 CHALLENGE 2.3A: MODELLING MATTER CHALLENGE 2.3B: MAKING A CUPPA
GO TO PAGE 183 GO TO PAGE 183

In liquids, the particles jostle against each

other. They do not move far before colliding
with another particle. As a result, particles
in a liquid do not move very far or very fast.
Diff usion in liquids is slow.
In solids, the particles are locked into
position. The particles vibrate, but cannot
Lead Aluminium move to a new location. So, the particles in a
solid cannot spread out and diff usion does not
Figure 2.14 Lead atoms have a greater mass occur in solids.
than aluminium atoms.

Mass depends on the number of particles and

the mass of each individual particle.
A particular volume of solid or liquid has
a greater mass than the same volume of gas
because it has more particles in it. For example,

E
a container of liquid nitrogen is much heavier
than the same-sized container of nitrogen gas.
This is because the liquid nitrogen has more Figure 2.16 Diffusion is slow in liquids.
particles in it than the fast moving gas particles.
A piece of lead has a much greater mass
than the same-sized piece of aluminium. Both
are metals that are made of atom particles that
are packed closely together. The difference is
the mass of each atom particle. Lead atoms
have a greater mass than aluminium atoms.
PL
Diffusion
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When the lid is taken off a bottle of perfume, Figure 2.17 Solids don’t diffuse.
the smell of the perfume spreads throughout the
room. This occurs without any breeze or wind
and is called diff usion. Another example of Check your learning 2.3
SA

diffusion is tea spreading out from a tea bag in a

Remember and understand
cup of hot water. Stirring the cup of tea will mix
the particles and speed up the rate of diffusion. 1 Is there any difference between the particle model of matter
and the kinetic theory of matter? Explain your answer.
Diffusion occurs fastest in gases. This
is because the particles in gases are moving 2 What is the meaning of ‘kinetic’ in the kinetic theory of
matter?
freely and quickly and there is plenty of space
between them. The particles in a gas will spread 3 Rank the states solid, liquid and gas in order of energy
out quickly and take up the space available. content, from highest to lowest.
4 What is meant by ‘mass’?
5 How does the kinetic molecular theory (or particle model) of
matter explain the different masses of different substances?
6 Why does a lump of lead have a greater mass than a lump
of wood?
7 How does the kinetic molecular theory of matter explain
diffusion in:
a liquids?
b gases?
Figure 2.15 Before (left) and after (right)
diffusion in a gas.

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 2.4 The particle model can
explain the properties
of matter
Understanding how particles move can help us to explain the physical
properties of matter. This includes how much force the substance can
withstand (strength), its ability to scratch other objects (hardness), its
thickness (viscosity), how much it can be compressed (compressibility) and
the number of particles in a certain volume (density).

E
Strength held together as strongly and can be removed
or scraped off. Therefore, plastic is not a hard
The idea of strength can be

PL
considered in different ways. A
rubber band is easily stretched,
but what about a piece of wire?
Different wires made of different
metals will break if stretched.
Tensile strength is a measure
substance.
There is a connection between hardness and
melting. Substances that are hard have strong
forces (bonds) between their particles. These
strong forces mean that for hard substances
to melt, a lot of heat energy is needed. These
substances usually have a high melting
of the flexibility of the links or
temperature.
M
bonds between the particles. The
Viscosity
bonds between the particles in steel
are stronger than the bonds between
tin particles. Another type of strength is Viscosity is the thickness or ‘gooiness’ of a
compressional strength. Substances that can liquid. It describes how easily the particles
Figure 2.18 Reinforced withstand large forces without being crushed move around each other. Viscous liquids
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concrete combines the have a high compressional strength. are hard to pour. Water has a low viscosity,
tensile strength of steel cooking oil is more viscous and honey is very
with the compressional
strength of concrete. Hardness viscous. Engine oils used in engines have
different viscosities.
Hardness is the ability of a substance to
scratch another substance. An iron nail will
scratch a plastic ruler because the iron is harder
than plastic. However, the iron nail will not
scratch glass because the iron is softer than
glass. The order of hardness is glass, then iron,
then plastic.
Hardness is not the same as strength. A
very hard substance may shatter easily. If this
happens, the material is described as ‘brittle’.
The particle model of matter explains hardness
Figure 2.19 Glass is in terms of the forces that hold the particles
a hard, but brittle,
together. The particles in hard substances are
substance.
held together very strongly and it is difficult to Figure 2.20 Engine oils are labelled with
separate them. In plastic, the particles are not viscosities.

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 EXPERIMENT 2.4: THE DENSIT Y DEN
GO TO PAGE 184

Gas in bike pump

Normal Compressed

1 litre air 1 litre water

= 0.003 g = 1.0 kg
Figure 2.21 Compression reduces the space between particles.

Compressibility Table 2.2 Densities of some common substances.

Compressibility refers to the ability of a SUBSTANCE DENSITY (G/CM3)

substance to be squashed or compressed. You Air 0.001

E
can test for compressibility when substances Foam rubber 0.05
are in a plastic syringe. Wood 0.3
If you put your finger over the end of a Oil 0.75
syringe, you can compress the air inside it. 1 litre air 1 litre water 1 litre sand
Water 1.0

cannot compress the water. Similarly, if you PL

However, if you replace the air with water, you

filled the syringe with sand, you would not be

able to compress it.
In solids and liquids, there are no empty
spaces between the particles, so it is not
Glass
Steel
Iron
Copper
Lead
= 0.003 g
2.6
7.8
7.8
8.9
11.3
= 1.0 kg = 2.5 kg

possible to compress the particles closer Gold 19.3

together. Solids and liquids are said to be
M
Mercury 13.6
incompressible. Gases, like air, can be
compressed. This is because the particles are
spread out and there is space between them. 1 litre air 1 litre water 1 litre sand 1 litre lead
= 0.003 g = 1.0 kg = 2.5 kg = 8.7 kg
Density
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One way of comparing the ‘heaviness’ of

Check your learning 2.4
two substances is to compare their densities. Remember and understand
Density describes the number of particles and 1 Prepare a table and list the
how tightly packed they are. The density of a physical properties mentioned in
substance will affect its properties, such as its this chapter and their meanings.
ability to float. Apply and analyse
One litre of water is heavier than one litre 2 1Rank the following in order
1 litre
of air. We say that water has a greater air
density litre water 1 litreofsand 1 litre lead
= 0.003 g =compressibility:
1.0 kg solid, liquid,
= 2.5 kggas. = 8.7 kg
than air. Sand has a greater density than water
3 If you placed a highly viscous
or air, but a lower density than lead. liquid, such as oil, into a water Figure 2.22 Density
The particle model of matter explains pistol, what would be the effect? compares the mass
density in terms of both the mass and the Explain your reasoning. of objects of the same
closeness of the particles. Gases always have volume.
4 What would happen to a polished
low densities because there is a lot of empty wooden table if you rubbed it with
space between the particles. Solids normally sand? Explain by using the idea of
have high densities because there is no space hardness.
between the particles. 5 Why do gases have a much lower
The densities of some common substances density than solids and liquids?
are given in Table 2.2.

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 2.5 Increasing kinetic energy in
matter causes it to expand
When you heat matter, you are passing on energy to the particles. This
means the particles start moving faster. The kinetic (movement) energy of
the particles increases. This can be used to explain melting and boiling. The
melting point and boiling point are the temperatures at which a substance
melts and boils, respectively.

Heating particles

E
Gold is usually a solid at room
temperature (20°C). Like all solids,
the particles in gold are packed

PL
tightly together. When solid gold is
given heat energy, the gold particles
start vibrating faster and faster.
When the temperature reaches 1064°C
the particles have enough kinetic energy
to move around each other, just like the
particles in a liquid. The gold has melted.
M
Figure 2.23 Vaporisation If you continue heating the gold, the
explains steam rising particles continue to gain kinetic energy, move Figure 2.25 Solidification occurs when a
from soup. faster and take up more space. Eventually, substance cools.
when the temperature reaches 2807°C, the
gold particles have enough kinetic energy to enough energy to move on their own – they
break free from the other gold particles, and become particles locked into a solid. The liquid
SA

move off on their own as a gas. has solidified or frozen.

This process can happen in reverse. If the Remember that the main difference
temperature is reduced, the particles will move between a hot and a cold substance is the
more slowly. The attraction to other particles kinetic energy in the particles.
will now keep the particles close together. The The differences in the movement of hot
gas has condensed into a liquid. and cold particles can be seen in a beaker of
As the particles in a liquid lose energy, water. As the particles move around, they cause
their movement slows. Eventually they are held diffusion. If the particles move faster, then
in place by other particles and do not have diffusion should occur faster.

a b

Figure 2.24 (a) The boiling point of water. (b) The Figure 2.26 Diffusion occurs faster in hot water
melting point of ice. (right beaker) than in cold water (left beaker).

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 EXPERIMENT 2.5A: EFFECT OF HEAT EXPERIMENT 2.5B: FROM ICE TO STEAM
GO TO PAGE 186 GO TO PAGE 188

Heat causes expansion

All objects and substances expand
(increase in size or volume) as
their temperature increases.
These objects contract (shrink)
back to their original size
Cold Hot
when they are cooled back to
Figure 2.27 In a hot solid, the particles vibrate their original temperature.
harder, faster and wider than in a cold solid. The expansion is only small
– approximately 10 mm in a
30 m bridge – but it is very
important for the strength of
the object. Expansion effects
are seen in bridges, railway tracks
and large buildings.
Applying heat energy causes the

E
Cold water Hot water
particles in the liquid or gas to gain more
Figure 2.28 In a hot liquid, the particles jostle energy. The particles jostle more and speed Figure 2.30 An
around faster and take up more space than in a
up. As they move around faster, they take up expansion joint in a
cold liquid.
more space and push the other particles further suspension bridge.

PL apart.
Expansion and contraction have many
important applications such as liquid-in-glass
thermometers. When an alcohol thermometer
is placed in your mouth, the heat from
your body passes to the liquid inside the
thermometer, causing it to expand and move
M
up the tube. Thermometers are filled with red-
Figure 2.29 In a hot gas, the particles move or green-coloured alcohol, but not the type of
faster, and collide with each other harder, than
in a cold gas.
alcohol in alcoholic drinks.

Check your learning 2.5

SA

Remember and understand Apply and analyse Figure 2.31 Train tracks
1 Draw a diagram similar to that shown 5 What precautions are taken with would buckle in the
in Figure 2.32. Add labels to show the railway tracks and bridges to ensure heat without tiny gaps
energy changes between states. that they do not buckle and bend on a between them.

2 How does the movement of particles hot day?

change as they get hotter? 6 How can you be sure that when a solid
3 What is the difference between the is heated and expands, the increase
terms ‘expand’ and ‘contract’? in size is not caused by more particles
(atoms) being added?
4 When hot objects cool, do they return
to their original size?

Figure 2.32

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 2
REVIEW

Remember and understand Apply and analyse

1 What are the three common states 7 When you are boiling water, the volume
of matter? of the water is reduced as it evaporates.
2 Select one word to replace each phrase. Does this mean that the density of the
water changes?
a The spreading out of a substance
such as a dye or smell. 8 Use the kinetic theory of matter to explain
why the pressure inside car tyres will
b The ability of one substance to
increase on a hot day.
scratch another substance.
9 What is the difference between solidification
c The ratio of the mass divided by
and freezing?
the volume.
10 Explain how a thermometer determines
3 In which of the three major states of
difference in temperature.
matter do the particles have the most
energy? Explain your reasoning.
4 How does the particle model explain the Evaluate and create
following properties?

E
11 Many people have ideas they think will
a strength explain observations and events in science.
b hardness For an idea to become a theory, it must be
able to explain a range of observations. The
c viscosity
idea must also be supported by evidence

e density PL
d compressibility

5 Where did the word ‘atoms’ come from?

6 What is the difference between mass
and matter?
and/or observations.
a Can you suggest what evidence would
have been required to support the idea
that all substances are made of atoms?
b It is found that a substance cannot
be broken down into a more simple
substance. How could you use the
kinetic theory of matter to explain this
M
observation?
SA

Figure 2.33 Exhaling clouds!

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 12 Design a way to draw or model the Research
following.
14 Choose one of the following topics for a
a the melting point of a material
research project. Present your research
b the boiling point of a material in a format of your own choosing, giving
c the density of a material careful consideration to the information
d the kinetic energy of a particle as it you are presenting.
heats up
e diffusion > State of the matter
13 You should now realise that the The changes between the states of
structure and properties of a substance matter have many uses. Research
can be explained by the particles that some of these uses and their
make up the substance. Explain the impact on our society. Some ideas
following observations by referring to are how refrigeration and air
the arrangement and/or the movement conditioning work; making moulds
of the particles within the substance. and casts, such as chocolate,
iron and aluminium castings;

E
You can use labelled diagrams to
improve your answers. obtaining medical-grade oxygen
and nitrogen from the air; how
a Water left in an open bottle will
the energy changes that occur
gradually evaporate and, if the
during evaporation of water and
temperature of the water increases,
the water will evaporate more
quickly.
b Mercury is a unique substance
because it is the only metal that is
liquid at room temperature, and
PL the subsequent condensation
of water vapour into rain affect
thunderstorms and cyclones.

> People matter

it even gives off a vapour (which The discovery of air pressure is a
makes it very dangerous because long and interesting story. Research
this vapour can be breathed into our
M
the background of Evangelista
lungs). Torricelli, Blaise Pascal and Otto
c Polythene can be produced in von Guericke. For example, Otto
two different forms, high-density von Guericke built a large water
polythene (HDPE) or low-density thermometer in the front of his
polythene (LDPE). If the particles in house and made the Magdeburg
SA

both HDPE and LDPE are the same, hemispheres. Two opposing teams
suggest how the structure of the of eight horses, working like a
two substances would be different. tug-of-war, could not pull the
d When you heat a piece of polythene hemispheres apart.
it will melt. While it is liquid, it can
be formed into a different shape
and when it cools the polythene will
stay in this new shape.
e We can see steam, but we cannot
see water vapour.

PARTICLE MODEL 43

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 2
KEY WORDS

atom kinetic energy

smallest particle of matter that cannot energy of motion or moving objects
be created, destroyed or broken down mass
(indivisible) amount of matter in a substance, usually
boiling point measured in kilograms
the temperature at which a liquid becomes matter
a gas anything that has mass and volume
chemical property melting point
how a substance behaves in a chemical the temperature at which a solid becomes
reaction, e.g. how it reacts with acid a liquid
chemistry molecule
branch of science that deals with matter group of two or more atoms that are
and changes that take place within it bonded together, e.g. a water molecule
compound particle model of matter
substance made up of two or more different theory that all matter is made up of very

E
types of atoms bonded together, e.g. water tiny particles
compressibility physical property
ability of a substance to be compressed can be measured or observed without
(squashed); gases can be compressed but changing a substance into something else,

diffusion PL
solids and liquids cannot

spontaneous spreading out of a substance

through a liquid or gas, e.g. the diffusion of
perfume in air
element
e.g. colour, boiling point
tensile strength
a measure of the flexibility of the links or
bonds between the particles in a substance
theory
explanation of a small part of the natural
pure substance made up of only one type of world that is supported by a large body
atom, e.g. oxygen, carbon of evidence
M
hardness viscosity
how easily a mineral can be scratched; a measure of how slowly a liquid changes
measured on the Mohs hardness scale its shape; the thickness of a liquid
incompressible volume
when a substance cannot be compressed;
SA

how much space an object takes up, usually

solids and liquids are incompressible measured in litres

44 OXFORD SCIENCE 7 VICTORIAN CURRICULUM

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