Chapter
3 Solids, Liquids, and Gases
Section 1- States of Matter
Students will learn that the characteristics of a solid are
defined by having a definite volume and a definite shape. They will also learn
about the arrangement of particles or atoms in a solid and the two types of
solids, crystalline and amorphous. Next students will learn that liquids have a
definite volume but NO definite shape. Liquids are also called a fluid, meaning
"a substance that flows". I will cover surface tension and viscosity,
two properties of a liquid. Learning about gases will be the last objective for
this section. Students will learn that a gas has NO definite volume and NO
definite shape, also that the particles of a gas will spread apart to fill any
available amount of space.
Section 2 - Changes of State
In this section students will learn the terminology for any
change that occurs between states of matter. We will begin with the change
between a solid and a liquid: melting, melting point, and freezing. Next, the
change between a liquid and a gas, Vaporization and Condensation. I will
discuss the two types of vaporization, Evaporation-taking place on the surface
and Boiling-taking place below the surface also we will cover a substances
boiling point. Last but not least my favorite state change, Sublimation, when
matter changes from a solid directly into a gas. One of the best examples of
this state change is dry ice.
Dry Ice Investigations Lab
To begin this lab students will make comparisons between
regular ice and dry ice. Once they have completed their comparisons they will
develop three investigations with the dry ice. Students will be provided with
various materials: a balloon, dish soap, cold water, hot water, small
containers, metal washers, etc. to complete these investigations. They will
create three hypotheses and test those predictions with the dry ice I provide
them. They will then have to draw conclusions over what they observed with the
dry ice.
WARNING: DRY ICE CAN BE A DANGEROUS MATERIAL IF USED
INCORRECTLY, ANY MISBEHAVIOR OR MISUSE WILL RESULT IN A DETENTION!
Section 3 - Gas Behavior
Students will identify types of measurement that are useful
when working with gases, they are volume, temperature, and pressure. They will
then use these measurements to learn about how they affect gases. Boyle's Law
deals with pressure and volume. Charles's Law involves volume and temperature
of a gas. The third relationship has no "title" but deals with
looking at how pressure and temperature are related.
It's a Gas Lab
In this lab students will be testing Boyle's Law. Their
problem: How does the pressure you exert on a syringe affect the volume of air
inside the syringe? Students will add Science text books to a 60 cc syringe and
record the volume inside as the books are added one by and also as they are
removed one by one. Students will then graph the results of the volume and
pressure changes they observed. Before they begin they will make a prediction
on what they think will happen to the volume of the gas. Once they have graphed
their data they will interpret their graphs by comparing the added pressure to
the removed pressure. Lastly they will draw conclusions about how the volume of
a gas changes with changing pressure.
