Perrone 1

Mary-Kate Perrone

MISEP- Chemistry

Final Project

April 22, 2006

Chapter in Chemistry:

Properties of Matter

Imagine a world without matter. Impossible to do, right? Everything that exists within the universe is made up of matter. From an intimidating skyscraper to a microbial virus, all things consist of this scientific material called matter. Matter can be defined as “anything that has mass and takes up space” (Cuevas, et al. 2005). All things possess unique physical and chemical properties of matter. The variety of things in our world can also be contributed to the different states of matter, each having their own characteristics and properties. The following paragraphs will outline the “story” of and define the above-mentioned states, characteristics, and properties of matter.

Many years ago around 450 BC, Greek philosopher and scientist, Empedocles, attempted to describe the world around us. He proposed the idea of matter and its components being made of fire, air, water, and earth. Although this idea had many problems, like a substance that looked pure (i.e. stone) never seemed to resemble any of the four components when broken down, many people adopted his ideas (Carpi 2003). At the time, Empedocles’ theory became an important development in scientific thinking.

Some time passed and another philosopher, Democritus, theorized that at some point a substance could no longer be broken down into smaller pieces. He formulated the idea of an atom, which could not be broken down nor could it be destroyed. This theory attempted to explain how substances in the universe were composed of smaller units. As with many theories, other well known philosophers and scientists, Aristotle and Plato, rejected this way of thinking and ultimately set back scientific discovery a few thousand years (Carpi 2003). As the story goes, many other philosophers and scientists developed new ideas that built upon their predecessor’s theories about the world around us.

Ancient Greek philosophers are responsible for making important scientific advances in determining and defining the world around us. They called it “matter.” Today on earth, there are three main states that matter exists in: solid, liquid, and gas. In order to understand these states fully, scientists developed the “Kinetic Molecular Theory of Matter” (Carpi 2004). This theory states that atoms and molecules are in motion and these actions result as temperature. Moreover, molecules that make up matter have an attraction among them and are constantly in motion.

A Swiss mathematician, Daniel Bernoulli, was first to develop this theory of constant motion among particles bouncing off one another (Carpi 2003). The more molecular movement of the particles causes the substance to have more energy. This energy is measured as temperature. In a solid, a strong attraction holds the particles close together as a result of intermolecular forces. Instead of moving, each particle vibrates, having smaller amounts of energy. In a liquid, the particles arenot held together as tightly; therefore, the particles are able to move past one another so the liquid can flow into different shapes. In a gas, there is a very weak attraction, which is said to have relatively high energy, among particles (Carpi 2004).The particles move quickly and freely in all directions leaving a lot of empty space between them. The movement and closeness of molecules determines the density of that type of matter. In other words, density is “the amount of matter in a given space, or volume” (Cuevas, et al. 2005). Therefore, if there is more matter (closer molecules) than it is said to be denser, while if there is less matter (farther apart molecules) than the object is less dense.

To determine the density of an object, one must first identify the mass and volume of that item. Mass can be defined as the “measurement of the amount of matter in an object”(Cuevas, et al. 2005). Mass remains constant from one location to another. In fact, the mass of an object is the same no matter where it is located within the entire universe. Altering the amount of matter, or the number of molecules, that make up the object is the only way to change the mass of the object.

As mentioned in above paragraphs, molecules are attracted to one another. Depending upon the mass of the object, the force of the attraction may be tiny for normal matter, such as a paper clip, or stronger for larger matter, such as a truck. This strong attraction is known as the force of gravity (Matter 2005). This attraction of gravity is felt as “weight” on earth. Weight is not the same as mass; rather, it is the measurement of the gravitational force exerted on an object (Cuevas, et al. 2005). The value of weight is dependent upon the location of the object and it’s relation to the center of the earth’s gravitational force.

In correlation to mass and density, all matter takes up space. The space that a certain amount of matter takes up is known as the object’s volume. Typically, volume is the measurement of an object in a three dimensional space and is usually measured in cubic centimeters or cubic inches (Cuevas, et al. 2005). Characteristically, volume is not altered in a specific type of matter; it is still taking up the same amount of space. This is because no two types of matter can be in the same place at the same time. An observable example of this is when an empty glass is filled with water. One would notice that bubbles are created when the water is forced into the solid object, the glass. Scientifically, the water molecules have now filled the space where air molecules once were; hence, air molecules were pushed out of the glass creating bubbles escaping at the top.

In conclusion, matter can be found everywhere in the universe as first identified by ancient Greek philosophers. Any substance can be identified having properties such as mass, weight, density, and volume. The atoms and molecules that make up matter are held together by an attraction and are constantly in motion. This report has outlined some of the types, characteristics, and properties of matter.

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References

1. Carpi, A. (2003). “Matter: Atoms from Democritus to Dalton.” Visionlearning Vol. CHE-1 (1). Retrieved March 16, 2006 from

2.Carpi, A. (2004). “Matter: States of Matter.” Visionlearning Vol. CHE-3 (1). Retrieved on March 16, 1006 from

3.Cuevas, M., and Vonderbrink, S. (2005). Introduction to Matter. Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, a Harcourt Education Company: Austin, Tx.

4.Matter. (2005). Grolier Online. Scholastic Library Publishing, Inc. Retrieved on November 12, 2005.

Classroom Activity

“Denser Sensor”

Topic:

  • Relative density of the same kinds of solids and different liquids

Essential Question:

  • How will solids and liquids arrange themselves according to their different densities when combined together?

Objectives:

  • Students will be able to measure mass and volume of various liquids to determine the densities of each.
  • Students will be able to measure the mass and volume of various solid objects of the same kind of materialand establish the density of each.
  • Students will be able to make predictions and design an experiment based on altering the temperature of various liquids to compare mass and density.

Benchmarks:

Project 2061:

  • Students will organize information in simple tables and graphs and identify relationships they reveal.
  • Students will learn equal volumes of different substances usually have different weights.

NCTM Standards 2000:

  • Solve simple problems involving rates and derived measurements for such attributes as velocity and density.
  • Collect data using observations, surveys, and experiments.

Materials for each group:

  • Test tubes (4 small and 1 large)
  • Test tube holders or inverted Styrofoam cups
  • Corn syrup
  • Glycerin
  • Digital balance
  • Small pieces of the same kind of wood
  • Food coloring (add to corn oil 2 days before)
  • Corn oil
  • Water
  • Graduated cylinder

Procedure

  1. Students will get into groups of four.
  2. Students will label each of the small test tubes A, B, C, D and determine the mass of each using the balance. (They should also measure the mass of the empty holder or the Styrofoam cup).
  3. Students will obtain the liquids from large containers labeled A, B, C, or D. They will then pour 10 mL of each liquid into the appropriate test tube.
  4. They will then find and record the mass of the liquids. (They will need to subtract the mass of the tube and or holder/ cup to determine the mass of the liquid.)
  5. As a whole class, we will review the formula for calculating density. Students will then calculate and record the density of each liquid using the equation D=m/V.
  6. Once they are finished, students will pour each liquid into the larger tube beginning with the liquid of greatest density to the least dense.
  7. After students have completed the density column, they will make predictions based on which pieces of wood are denser than others even though they are all the same kind of wood.
  8. They will record predictions on chart and drop solid objects into the liquids in various orders.
  9. As a group, students will discuss results and devise another investigation where the liquids are heated.
  10. This part of the lesson can be used in substitution of calculating density of the solids or can be used as an inquiry based approach to investigating how temperature affects the density of an object.
  11. This part of the lesson/ investigation should be student led where they are in charge of the design and execution of the experiment.

Driving Questions:

Students will answer questions based on the activity.

  1. If all liquids had the same volume, why are they layered?
  2. What do you know about the liquid that settled at the bottom of the test tube?
  3. How would the liquids react if they were mixed together and then allowed to settle?
  4. What would happen if salt was added to one of the liquids?
  5. What would happen if you increased the temperature of the liquids?
  6. Does it matter which solids are dropped in the liquids first?
  7. Why do the densities differ among pieces of the same kind of wood?

Assessment:

Students will be assessed through:

  • Observation
  • Lab Activity Sheets (Rubric)
  • Responses to Questions

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References for Classroom Activity

This lesson was adapted from:

Floaters and Sinkers. (2004). AIMS Educational Foundation. Fresno, CA.

The NCTM Standards are referenced from:

Principles and Standards for School Mathematics. (2000). National Council of Teachers Mathematics.

Name ______Date ______Section______

Denser Sensor Lab Sheet

Part 1: Make a Prediction:

How will solids and liquids arrange themselves according to their different densities when combined together?______

Procedure:

  1. Label each of the small test tubes A, B, C, D and determine the mass of each using the balance. (***Make sure you measure the mass of the empty holder or the Styrofoam cup).
  2. Find and record the mass of the liquids. (You will need to subtract the mass of the tube and or holder/ cup to determine the mass of the liquid.)
  3. Complete the Data Chart:

Mass Of Empty Tube / Mass of Tube with Liquid / Mass of Liquid / Volume of Liquid / Density of Liquid
Test Tube / (g) / (g) / (g) / (mL) / (g/ML)
A
B
C
D
  1. Pour each liquid into the larger tube beginning with the liquid of greatest density to the least dense. Make a Prediction: Identify the liquids: A______, B______, C______, and D______.
  2. Answer questions:
  3. If all liquids had the same volume, why are they layered?
  4. What do you know about the liquid that settled at the bottom of the test tube?
  5. How would the liquids react if they were mixed together and then allowed to settle?
  6. What would happen if salt was added to one of the liquids?
  7. What would happen if you increased the temperature of the liquids?
  8. Discuss results with class.

Part 2: Make a Prediction:

Which pieces of wood are denser than others even though they are all the same kind of wood? (Label each object #1, #2, #3, #4)

  • The density of #1 is >,<,or = #______.
  • The density of #2 is >,<,or = #______.
  • The density of #3 is >,<,or = #______.
  • The density of #4 is >,<,or = #______.
  1. Drop the solid objects into the liquids in various orders.
  2. Draw and label the solids and liquids after you have dropped/ poured them into the large container.

Solids DiagramLiquids

______

______

______

______

Answer Questions:

a.Does it matter which solids are dropped in the liquids first?

b.Why do the densities differ among pieces of the same kind of wood?

Extension Activity: Work in your groups to devise an investigation on how temperature affects the density of liquids and solid objects.