What is the Matter?

The matter is any substance around us that occupies space and has mass.
Examples: iron rod, plastic bag, air, water, rocks etc.

What is matter made of?

All matter is made up of exceedingly small particles called molecules.

Each molecule of a matter has two or more smaller units called atoms. Atoms are
known as building blocks of matter. We cannot see atoms with our naked eyes. When
atoms of the same kind come together, they form elements. T

To sum up, matter is made up of molecules and molecules consist of atoms.

States of Matter
The way the particles of matter are arranged within there are three states of matter
known as:

1. Solid
2. Liquid
3. Gas
Molecules are in constant motion and are attracted to each other. Let us see how
molecules are arranged in different states of matter.

Molecules in solid:

In solids molecules are very tightly packed together. Thus, the particles cannot flow
properly.

Molecules in liquid:

As compared to solids molecules are less tightly packed in liquids; so, they can
move and slide over each other.

Molecules in gases:
In gases, the molecules are at large distance from each other and can move freely.
Solid
Solid is any material that has a fixed shape and volume. The reason for this is
because the molecules are tightly packed together which does not allow them to
move.

Example: Table, Books, pencils, trees, crystals of sugar etc.

NOTE: we can change the shape of some solids by applying force. For Example:
solids like sponge, rubber can change their shapes according to the force applied
and removed.

Properties of solid:

1. Solids have a definite shape.

2. Solids have a definite volume.
3. Solids have a definite mass.
4. The particles are tightly packed.
5. Solids do not flow.

Liquid –
Liquid is any material that does not have a fixed shape. The particles in liquids are
loosely packed which allows them to move easily. Thus, they take the shape of the
container in which they are poured. But they are packed densely enough that volume
is kept.

Example: Milk, water, oil etc.

Properties of liquid:
 1. Liquids do not have a fixed shape.
2. Liquids have a definite volume.
3. Liquids have a definite mass.
4. The molecules can move freely in liquids. This helps the liquids to flow.

Gas –
Gas is a matter that is composed of very loosely packed articles; therefore, they can
freely move around. They do not have a fixed shape or volume. It can flow freely and
assumes all the space or volume of its container.

Example: air and cooking gas

Properties of gases

1. Gases do not have fixed shape and volume.

2. A gas does not have a definite mass.
3. The molecules in gases are very loosely packed
4. Gases can flow easily in all directions.

Dissolving solids, liquids, and gases in water

All substances can dissolve in water, making it the universal solvent. Let us see how
different states of matter can be combined with water:

1) Solids in water:

Some solids get dissolved in water by occupying the space between the molecules
of water. For example: sugar and water. However, some substances do not get
dissolved in water e.g., chalk powder, sand etc.

2) Liquids in water:

Some liquids mix easily when dissolved with water. For example: Alcohol is miscible
with water. However, some liquids are insoluble in water e.g., petrol, diesel is
immiscible with water.

3) Gases in water:

Some gases get dissolved in water e.g., carbon dioxide, nitrogen, oxygen, and
ammonia dissolve in water. However, some gases do not get dissolved in water e.g.,
hydrogen, nitrogen etc.

Difference between the states of matter

PHYSICAL SHAPE VOLUME FLOW FORCES OF SPACE

 STATE BETWEEN THE
ATTRACTION PARTICLES

Canno Extraordinarily
Solid Fixed Definite Close together
t flow strong

Intermediate Intermediate
Not Can
Liquid Definite between solids and between solids
fixed flow
liquids and liquids

Intermediate
Not Can
Gas Very weak between solids
fixed Indefinite flow
and liquids

Solution
A solution is a mixture in which substances are completely dissolved. It can be
defined as a special type of mixture where two or more substances are combined in
such a way that they evenly spread and mix with each other.

Example: sugar mixed with water becomes a solution.

The two substances that make a solution are:

1. Solute

2. Solvent

Solute:

 The substance which is soluble in other substances is called a solute.

 A solution is the part of the solution which is present in insignificant amounts.

Solvent:

 a substance in which the solute is dissolved is called a solvent.

 Solvent is the part of solution which is present in copious amounts.

Let us take an example to understand about solute and solvent:

When we mix salt and water it completely dissolves with each other and forms a
solution. Here, salt is the solute and water are the solvent.
Types of Solution
There are diverse types of solutions depending upon the type of solute and solvent
present in a solution. They are as follow:

 Liquid solutions

SOLUTION EXAMPLE SOLUTE SOLVENT

Liquid in gas Clouds Liquid (water vapor) gas(air)

Liquid in liquid Alcohol and water Liquid(alcohol) Liquid(water)

Liquid in solid Butter and jam Liquid Solid

 Solid Solutions

SOLUTION EXAMPLE SOLUTE SOLVENT

Solid in gas smoke Solid (carbon particles) gas(air)

Solid in liquid Sugar water Solid (sugar) Liquid(water)

Solid in solid Steel Solid (carbon) Solid(iron)

 Gas Solutions

SOLUTION EXAMPLE SOLUTE SOLVENT

Gas in gas Air Gas (Oxygen) gas(nitrogen)

Gas in liquid Soft drink Gas (carbon dioxide) Liquid(water)

 Gas in solid Hydrogen gas on platinum. Gas (Hydrogen gas) Solid (Platinum)

Soluble and insoluble substances:

Substances that dissolve completely in water to form solutions are termed as soluble
substances. For example: Salt, ethanol and sugar are soluble in water.

Substances that do not dissolve in a liquid to form solutions are called insoluble
substances. For example: oil, sand, chalk is insoluble in water.

Separation of liquid from Solids

Using diverse types of methods, we can separate soluble and insoluble solutes from
solvents. Let us learn more about it.

Separation of soluble substances

We can separate soluble substances from a liquid (e.g.; water) by boiling and
distillation.

Boiling:

In this process the soluble substances can be separated by heating the water(liquid).
When all the water evaporates, we will get the substance. Water is lost during the
process of boiling.

Example: sugar and water solution are heated till the water evaporates leaving
behind sugar particles.

Distillation:

It is a method of purifying water performed in laboratories. The water collected after

this process is called distilled water. It is free of any impurities. It is used in car
batteries and medicines.
Separation of insoluble substances

Some substances like stones, mud, and sand do not dissolve in liquid (say water)
and are called insoluble substances. We can separate the insoluble substances from
water by sedimentation followed by decantation and filtration.

Sedimentation and decantation:

When we mix mud in water, the color of the water gets changed. After some time, we
will see that the insoluble particles of mud settle down at the bottom. These are
called sediments. This process of separating insoluble substances is called
sedimentation.

Sedimentation steps

1. Collect impure water having mud in a beaker.

2. Keep the water undisturbed for some time
3. After some time, the mud settles down at the bottom of the beaker and is called
sediment.

After the insoluble sediments have settled down, the clear water can be removed into
another container. This process is called decantation.

Filtration:

filtration is a process in which water containing insoluble substances is poured into

a funnel having a cone of filter paper. Insoluble substances are caught in the filter
paper and the clear water passes through it and gets collected in a vessel called a
filtrate. This is a better process of separation than sedimentation and decantation.
Air
Air is present all around us. Air is an invisible mixture of several gases. It is made up
of 1) nitrogen (78%)

2) Oxygen (21%)

3) Water Vapor

4) 1% of other gases like carbon dioxide, argon, helium, hydrogen etc.

The amount of water vapor present in the air decides the humidity of the air.
Formation of wind
Wind can be defined as the movement of air molecules in a large scale. Wind is
formed by the uneven heating of the Earth’s surface by the Sun. different surfaces on
Earth absorb the Sun’s heat at different rates. As the heat is absorbed by the air, it
becomes warm. During this process, warm air rises as it is lighter than frigid air, and
cooler air rushes in to replace it. This causes wind.

 Wind: the moving air is called wind.

 Breeze: a gentle wind is called breeze
 Gale: a strong wind is called gale.
 Storm: an extraordinarily strong and powerful wind with rain is called a storm.
 Thunderstorm: a storm that is accompanied with thunder and lightning is called
thunderstorm.
Sea and Land Breezes

During the day, the land warms up faster than the water. This causes the air above
the land to warm up. Warm air, being less dense, expands and rises leaving an area
of low pressure. Meanwhile, the air over the ocean is cooler. The cooler and heavier
hair sinks over the water creating an area of high pressure. The difference in
pressure and temperature creates a convection current. warm air over the land is
replaced by the cool ocean air. The cooler wind that blows from the sea to the land is
called the sea breeze.

At night, the convection current reverses. After the sun has set the land cools more
quickly than water therefore the air above the land also cools down and the air above
sea still is warm. The light warm air rises. The cooler air above the land moves
towards the sea to fill up the space. The cooler wind that blows from the land to the
sea is called land breeze.

Monsoon Breeze (monsoon wind)

During summers, the land near the equator warms up very quickly due to direct sun
rays. The temperature of the land is always higher than that of the sea or ocean. The
warm land heats air above it because of which the warm air being lighter rises and
expands. This causes the moisture-laden air to flow from oceans towards the land.
These winds are called the monsoon breeze or wind.

The monsoon wind brings rain in India.

Role of ventilation in closed spaces

We all spend most of our time indoors. The indoor air quality can be many times
worse than the air outside. To regulate the flow of fresh air and heat inside the home
we use ventilators and exhaust at our homes. Ventilation is simply a process through
which we let in the fresh air and take out the bad air. Let us see why ventilation is
important:

 It lets fresh air and sunlight come in

 Air pollutants, unpleasant smells also can move out through ventilators.
 As it regulates air flow, it protects our walls and wooden furniture from water damage.
 It keeps our home fresh, dry, and airy.

Heating and cooling

Matter can be changed from one state to another with heating or cooling. For
example: If we heat ice, it changes into water and its state changes from solid to
liquid.

Sometimes heating and cooling bring changes in matter altogether to form a new
substance. There are two types of changes:
  Physical change in matter

 Chemical change in matter

Physical change in matter:

 A physical change is a temporary change which can be reversed.

 No new substance is formed
 Only physical properties of the matter get changed like shape, size, color etc.
 Chemical properties of the matter remain unchanged.
 For example: Water on cooling becomes ice. Ice on heating becomes water.

Here, only the state of matter is changed which can be easily reversible.

Chemical change in matter:

In chemical change, heating or cooling of matter brings permanent changes in state

of the matter.
new substance is formed
This change is irreversible
For example: after we burn a piece of paper it changes into ash. The molecules of
paper are different from the molecules of ash.