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8 The Kinetic Particle Model of Matter

The document discusses the three states of matter: solid, liquid, and gas, and their properties, including how they change states through processes like melting and boiling. It highlights the relationship between glacier melting and volcanic eruptions, linking these phenomena to global warming and atmospheric changes. Additionally, it introduces the kinetic particle model to explain the behavior of materials and the movement of particles at different temperatures.

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mithibai.fybsc.maths
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12 views3 pages

8 The Kinetic Particle Model of Matter

The document discusses the three states of matter: solid, liquid, and gas, and their properties, including how they change states through processes like melting and boiling. It highlights the relationship between glacier melting and volcanic eruptions, linking these phenomena to global warming and atmospheric changes. Additionally, it introduces the kinetic particle model to explain the behavior of materials and the movement of particles at different temperatures.

Uploaded by

mithibai.fybsc.maths
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Work with a partner.

Take a large sheet of paper and write the words 'solid', 'liquid' and 'gas' on
the paper. Around each word, write as much as you can about that state of matter. You can
include drawings. Using a different coloured pen, make as many links as you can between the
three words.

Figure 9.2: Scientists in Arizona and Oxford have shown a correlation between the melting of glaciers
and an increase in volcanic eruptions such as this one in Iceland which erupted in 2010.
The volcano in Figure 9.2 is erupting. High temperatures inside the earth have melted the rock
creating magma. Scientists believe the eruption may have been triggered by the melting of the
glacier situated above the volcano. The glacier melting meant there was less ice pressing down
on the rocks. This reduced the pressure on the magma underneath the rocks. This made it
easier for magma to flow. The melting of the glaciers is linked to global warming, which is caused
by the changes to gases in the atmosphere. Changes of state, such as the melting of glaciers,
can have dramatic effects. We are familiar with the changes that happen when ice melts. A
glass-like solid changes into a transparent, colourless, runny liquid. Heat the liquid and it
'vanishes' into thin air. Although this sounds like a magic trick, it is so familiar that it does not
surprise us. It is more surprising when we see solid rock heat up and become magma. In this
chapter, we will look at materials and their different states- solid, liquid and gas. We will
consider how the particles in matter behave and how this can help us explain some of the
things we observe when materials change from one state to another.
Discussion questions
1 List ten solids, ten liquids and ten gases. Are there any substances which are hard to
categorise?
2 The Earth is distinctive among the planets of the Solar System in being the only planet on
which water is found to exist naturally in all three of its physical states. Discuss how life on Earth
would be affected if one of the states of matter did not exist.

States of matter
Table 9.1: The distinguishing properties of the three states of matter.

Water which can exist Ice cubes have a fixed This coloured water The steam leaving the
as solid ice, liquid shape. takes the shape of the pot quickly condenses
water or steam which is flasks. to form
an invisible gas water droplets.

State Solid Liquid Gas


Size rigid, fixed shape, not rigid, no fixed not rigid, no fixed
fixed volume; cannot shape, fixed volume; shape, no fixed
be squashed cannot be squashed volume; can be
squashed

Shape takes the shape of takes the shape of expands to fill its
its its container
container container

Matter exists in three states: solid, liquid and gas. An example of this
. Steam quickly condenses in air to form tiny water droplets,
which are what we see. We can describe these states by describing their shape and volume (size). Table 9.1
shows how these help us to distinguish between solids, liquids and gases.
Figure 9.6: The volume of a liquid stays the same.
Figure 9.6 shows a famous psychology experiment. A
young child will usually think the taller glass holds more
water even when they see it being poured from the wider
glass. The child does not realise yet that a liquid has a
fixed volume. Although the drink changes its shape when
you pour it from one glass to the other, its volume stays
the same.
Changes of state
Heat a solid and it melts to become a liquid. Heat the liquid
and it boils to become a gas. Cool the gas and it becomes
first a liquid and then a solid. These are changes of state.
The names for these changes are shown in Figure 9.7.
GAS

evaporation
or boiling
condensing
melting
LIQUID
solidifying
SOLID
Figure 9.7: Naming changes of state.

Another word for a liquid changing to a gas is


evaporation. We will see the difference between
evaporation and boiling later.
KEY WORDS
states of matter: solid, liquid or gas
changes of state: changing from one state of
matter to another
evaporation: changing from a liquid to a gas at
any temperature
boiling: changing from liquid to gas at a fixed
temperature called the boiling point
melting: changing from solid to liquid
condensing: changing from gas to liquid
solidifying/freezing: changing from liquid
to solid
Questions
1 Copy and complete these sentences:
The three states of matter are , and
A solid has a definite shape and . A liquid
has a definite but takes the shape of its
container. A gas will expand to fill all the
available.
When a solid is heated it to make a .
The temperature this happens at is called the
The boiling point is the temperature at which a
turns to a .
2 a What name is given to the temperature at which
a gas condenses to form a liquid?
b What name is given to the process during which
a liquid changes into a solid?
c What name is given to the temperature at which
this happens?
3 To measure the volume of a liquid, you can pour
it into a measuring cylinder. Measuring cylinders
come in different shapes and sizes-tall, short, wide,
narrow. Explain why the shape of the cylinder does
not affect the measurement of volume.

9.2 The kinetic particle


model of matter
In this section, we will use a model to help us explain t
behaviour of materials. Scientists often use models to
explain things which we cannot see directly. Using this
model will help us answer questions such as:
• why does an ice cube change shape as it melts?
• how can we smell perfume from across a room?
• why does it take time to melt a solid?
The model is called the kinetic particle model of matter.
The word ‘kinetic’ means related to movement. All mat
is made up of tiny particles-atoms, molecules or ions.
When a substance is heated, its particles gain energy an
move faster. The higher the temperature, the faster the
particles move.
KEY WORDS
model: a way of representing a system which we
cannot experience directly
kinetic particle model of matter: a model in
which matter consists of moving particles
atom: the smallest part of an element that can exis
molecule: two or more atoms joined together by
chemical bonds.
There are many different types of particles with diffen
chemical properties. In this chapter we will look at hoi
these particles move rather than how they react. We w
draw all the atoms and molecules as spheres and refer
them all as particles.

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