Physical Science

What's the Matter?

We have been involved in understanding what matter is and how it can be identified. Matter is anything that has mass (or as we call it "stuff") and takes up space (or has volume). We completed an opening activity for the unit to understand what things around us would be classified as matter. Students now understand that any object in a solid, liquid, gaseous, or plasma state is considered matter. Some of those things include, but are not limited to: cell phones, iPods, the water we drink, and the air we breathe. Fire is even considered to be matter, but students now understand that the heat energy it gives off is not. We cannot calculate the mass of energy or measure how much space it occupies.

It seems as though middle school students are "<3" with someone every other week; although <3 consumes a large part of their life ... it isn't matter. So, does it really matter? (=

Students have also determined the difference between physical and chemical properties of matter. A physical property is any characteristic of matter that can be detected by our five senses without changing the object's or substance's appearance. Examples include an object's color, taste, and shape. Chemical properties is a characteristic of an object or substance that allows it to change to something new. Examples of chemical properties that we have discussed include flammability, reactivity, and combustibility.

Matter also has the ability to change physically or chemically. A physical change is a change in the object's size, shape, form, or state of matter. It allows the object or substance to change appearance, but not its identity. When objects change chemically, it will change the material into a new material with new properties. Believe it or not, cooking and eating usually involve a chemical change.

Test your knowledge of physical and chemical properties and changes with the following website.

Good luck!

http://www.teacherbridge.org/public/bhs/teachers/Dana/chemphys.html