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State of Matter

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Key Stage 2

Meaning

State of matter means whether a material is solid, liquid or gas.

About States of Matter

Materials can be solid, liquid or gas.
The state of matter can be changed by heating or cooling the material.
Heating can turn a solid into a liquid. This is called melting.
Heating can turn a liquid to a gas. This is called evaporating.
Cooling can turn a gas into a liquid. This is called condensing.
Cooling can turn a liquid into solid. This is called freezing.
BrickRed.png
Water.png
Balloon.png
Brick is a solid material. Water is a liquid material. Inside the balloon is a gas called helium.

Key Stage 3

Meaning

State of matter means whether a material is solid, liquid or gas.

About States of Matter

Materials can be solid, liquid or gas.
The state of matter can be changed by heating or cooling the material.
Heating can turn a solid into a liquid by melting or it can turn a solid straight into a gas by subliming.
Heating can turn a liquid to a gas. This is called evaporating.
Cooling can turn a gas into a liquid by condensing or it can turn a gas into a solid by depositing.
Cooling can turn a liquid into solid. This is called freezing.
ParticleModelSolidLiquidGas.png
This diagram shows the 3 states of matter in the particle model.

Properties of the States of Matter

Solid Liquid Gas
Cannot be compressed. Cannot be compressed. Can be compressed.
Does not flow. Can flow. Can flow.
Holds its shape. Fits the shape of the container. Fits the size and shape of the container.

Key Stage 4

Meaning

State of matter means whether a material is solid, liquid or gas.

About States of Matter

Materials can be solid, liquid or gas.
The state of matter can be altered by changing the temperature of the material or changing the pressure on the material.
The properties of solids, liquids and gases can be explained by the way the particles inside those substances behave.
Solids
Particle Diagram Particle Arrangement Property
ParticleModelSolid.png
Particles are in fixed positions. Solids hold their shape.
Convection cannot happen in solids.
Particles are very close together. Solids cannot be compressed.
Sound passes through solids faster than liquids and gases.
Particles vibrate.
Thermal Conduction happens best in solids.
Liquids
Particle Diagram Particle Arrangement Property
ParticleModelLiquid.png
Particles can slide past each other. Liquids can be poured.
Liquids fit the shape of their container.
Convection happens in solids.
Particles are close together. Liquids cannot be compressed.
Sound passes through liquids faster than gases.
Thermal Conduction happens in liquids but not as well as in solids.
Gases
Particle Diagram Particle Arrangement Property
ParticleModelGas.png
Particles are free to move in all directions. Gases fit the size of their container.
Gases fit the shape of their container.
Convection happens most easily in gases.
Particles are spread apart. Gases can be compressed into a smaller volume.
Sound passes through gases slower than liquids and solids.
Thermal Conduction is very poor in a gases.

Why isn't everything a gas?

When particles are near each other, they tend to stick together. This is due to forces acting between adjacent particles. When two particles are near one another they are attracted together. This causes those particles to come together. Without this force of attraction between particles they would not stick together and there would be no solid or liquid states.
What determines if a substance is a solid, liquid or gas at room temperature is how big that force of attraction is.

Why Solids and Liquids exist

Different substances have a different force of attraction between the adjacent particles.
Silicon dioxide (sand and glass) is solid at room temperature because there is a strong force of attraction between adjacent molecules.
Water is a liquid at room temperature because the force of attraction is not great enough to hold the molecules in position. However, it is great enough to keep them together.
Oxygen is a gas at room temperature because there is a very weak force of attraction between adjacent molecules.

References

AQA

States of matter, pages 106, 107, 110-113, GCSE Physics; The Complete 9-1 Course for AQA, CGP, AQA
States of matter, pages 121, 122, 193, 195, GCSE Combined Science; The Revision Guide, CGP, AQA
States of matter, pages 164-5, 323, GCSE Combined Science Trilogy 1, Hodder, AQA
States of matter, pages 36, 37, GCSE Chemistry; The Revision Guide, CGP, AQA
States of matter, pages 36-37, GCSE Chemistry; Third Edition, Oxford University Press, AQA
States of matter, pages 38-40, GCSE Physics; The Revision Guide, CGP, AQA
States of matter, pages 49-50, GCSE Chemistry, Hodder, AQA
States of matter, pages 56-7, 59, 68-9, GCSE Chemistry; Student Book, Collins, AQA
States of matter, pages 78-85, GCSE Physics; Third Edition, Oxford University Press, AQA
States of matter, pages 84, 100-1, GCSE Physics; Student Book, Collins, AQA
States of matter, pages 96, 97, 100-103, GCSE Combined Science Trilogy; Physics, CGP, AQA
States of matter, pages 97, 101, GCSE Combined Science Trilogy; Chemistry, CGP, AQA
States of matter, pages 99, 103, GCSE Chemistry, CGP, AQA
States of matter; changes of, pages 324-5, GCSE Combined Science Trilogy 1, Hodder, AQA

Edexcel

Sates of matter, pages 97, 98, 201, 203, GCSE Combined Science; The Revision Guide, CGP, Edexcel
States of matter, page 182, GCSE Physics, Pearson Edexcel
States of matter, pages 2-3, GCSE Chemistry, Pearson, Edexcel
States of matter, pages 299, 300, GCSE Physics, CGP, Edexcel
States of matter, pages 94, 96, GCSE Physics; The Revision Guide, CGP, Edexcel
States of matter, pages 95-99, GCSE Chemistry, CGP, Edexcel
States of matter; changing state, pages 302, 303, GCSE Physics, CGP, Edexcel

OCR

States of matter, page 12, Gateway GCSE Chemistry; The Revision Guide, CGP, OCR
States of matter, page 14, Gateway GCSE Physics; The Revision Guide, CGP, OCR
States of matter, pages 18-21, 76-77, Gateway GCSE Chemistry, Oxford, OCR
States of matter, pages 82, 152, 154, Gateway GCSE Combined Science; The Revision Guide, CGP, OCR