Properties of Matter 1. Everything is made of Matter Matter is anything that has volume and mass. Examples of matter include air, steam, a computer, paper, and blood… almost everything! 2. Matter has Volume Volume is the amount of space an object takes up. A cloud, the Statue of Liberty, the Atlantic Ocean all have volume. If something takes up space, another thing cannot be in the same space at the same time.

Liquid volume – measured in liters. A can of soda has a volume of 355 mL; Lake Erie has a volume of 483 trillion L. Measuring the volume of liquid – in science we use a graduated cylinder. The surface of a liquid is curved on the side of the graduated cylinder. The curve of the liquid is a meniscus. To correctly measure volume you must look at the bottom of the meniscus.

Solid volume – expressed in cubic units, cm3 or m3 Cubic means “having three dimensions” To find solid volume: Length x Width x Height = solid volume To find the volume of an irregular solid you use the displacement method Put water in a graduated cylinder and measure. Add object to water in the graduated cylinder. Measure the water now. Subtract to find the difference – that is your volume of the object.

3. Matter has Mass Mass is the amount of matter that something is made of. The basic SI (metric) unit for mass is the kilogram; grams and milligrams are also used. The mass of an object remains the same everywhere in the universe. The Difference between Mass and Weight. Weight is the measure of gravitational force on the mass of an object. The more massive the object the more the gravitational force. If the gravitational force is greater the object weighs more. An object’s weight can change depending on where it is in the universe. Things weigh less on the moon because the gravity is less.

Section 2, Describing Matter, Physical Properties A physical property can be observed or measured without changing the identity of the object. For example – an apple is red; an apple is circular in shape. These are physical properties. Physical Properties Identify Matter (se Fig 7, pg. 44 – 45_) Thermal conductivity – the rate at which a substance transfers thermal energy Density - the mass per unit volume. Solubility – the ability of a substance to dissolve in another substance. State – the physical form in which a substance exists; gas, liquid or solid Ductility – The ability of a substance to be pulled into a wire. Malleability – the ability of a substance to be rolled or pounded into thin sheets.

Spotlight on Density - how much matter is in a given space. A golf ball and ping pong ball have the same volume. But golf ball has more density because it has more matter in the same space. Liquids have density too. Oil will float on vinegar in salad dressing. Finding density – you must measure the mass and the volume of an object. Density = mass/volume or D = m/V Units for density are expressed in g/cm3 or g/mL (kg/m3 or kg/L)