03 Matter KCi C

You might also like

Download as pdf or txt
Download as pdf or txt
You are on page 1of 28

keep it simple science

Key Concepts in Colour


®

keep it simple science

Years 7-8 Topic


Solids, Liquids & Gases
Usage & copying is permitted according to the following

Site Licence Conditions


A school (or other recognised educational • School staff may allow students enrolled at that
institution) may store the disk contents in multiple school and campus only to obtain copies of the disk
computers (or other data retrieval systems) to files and store them in each student’s personal
facilitate the following usages of the disk contents: computer for non-profit, educational use only.
• School staff may print unlimited copies on paper
and/or make unlimited photocopies at one school IN SUCH CASE, THE SCHOOL SHOULD
and campus only, for use by students enrolled at MAKE PARTICIPATING STUDENTS AWARE
that school and campus only, for non-profit, OF THESE SITE LICENCE CONDITIONS
educational use only.
AND ADVISE THEM THAT COPYING OF
• School staff may use the disk contents to make DATA FILES BY STUDENTS MAY
audio-visual displays, such as via computer CONSTITUTE AN ILLEGAL ACT.
networks, or by using data projectors or overhead
projectors, at one school and campus only, for • In every usage of the disk files, the KISS logo and
viewing by students enrolled at that school and copyright declaration must be included on each
campus only, for non-profit, educational use only. page, slide or frame.
Please Respect Our Rights Under Copyright Law
KCiC.03 Solids, Liquids & Gases Slide 1
copyright © 2009 keep it simple science
www.keepitsimplescience.com.au
Properties
® of Matter
keep it simple science

Changes of The
The States State
Moving-Particle
of Matter Model

Change of
State
Explained

Solids, Liquids Effects


of Heat

& Gases Heat Expansion

Gas
Pressure
Density
Density & Heat Air
Expansion Pressure

Density & the


Particle Model Density & Flotation

KCiC.03 Solids, Liquids & Gases Slide 2 Usage & copying is permitted according to the
copyright © 2009 keep it simple science Site Licence Conditions only
www.keepitsimplescience.com.au
®

keep it simple science


Solid, Liquid, Gas
The Earth is mostly solid rock. The oceans are liquid water. The air we breathe is a gas.
All around us are many different substances, but when we come to study the science of matter, one simple
starting point is that all substances are either solid, liquid or gas.

The States of Matter

Solids Liquids Gases


Generally, Generally, Generally,

• have a definite shape. • have no definite shape. • have no definite shape.


They take the shape of whatever They completely fill whatever
• are hard. container they are in. container they are in.

• cannot be compressed. • can flow, and be poured. • can easily flow and move.
(squashed into a smaller space) (e.g. when the wind blows)
• cannot be compressed.
A solid made of grains, like dry • are easily compressed.
sand, has no definite shape and
can flow like a liquid. However, Liquids & Gases are both “fluids”;
each grain is hard, has a definite substances which can flow and change shape.
shape and cannot be
compressed.
KCiC.03 Solids, Liquids & Gases Slide 3 Usage & copying is permitted according to the
copyright © 2009 keep it simple science Site Licence Conditions only
www.keepitsimplescience.com.au
®

keep it simple science Testing Compressibility


One of the big differences between the If you try again with the syringe filled
states of matter is whether or not a with air, you’ll find it very easy to
substance can be squashed into a compress the gas.
smaller space.

This property of compressibility can be Air


studied using a syringe, or even a bike
pump.
A gas can be easily
Push on the Outlet blocked compressed
plunger with a finger

Simplest definitions of the States of Matter


Water
Solid = incompressible non-fluid
Liquid = incompressible fluid
You will find it impossible to Gas = compressible fluid
compress water
KCiC.03 Solids, Liquids & Gases Slide 4 Usage & copying is permitted according to the
copyright © 2009 keep it simple science Site Licence Conditions only
www.keepitsimplescience.com.au
Changes of State
®

keep it simple science

Most pure substances can change their state from solid to liquid to gas, and back again.
When this happens, it is still the same substance, but in a different state.
LEARN THE NAMES FOR EACH CHANGE.
melting risation (or boilin
po g)
va

Solid Liquid Gas


fre )
ezin a ti on c ondensation
g (or solidific

sublimation
Sometimes it is possible for a substance to change directly from solid to gas,
or from gas to solid. In either direction this change is called sublimation.
KCiC.03 Solids, Liquids & Gases Slide 5 Usage & copying is permitted according to the
copyright © 2009 keep it simple science Site Licence Conditions only
www.keepitsimplescience.com.au
Examples of Changes of State
®

keep it simple science

Liquid water boils


and vaporises to
“water vapour”.

As the vapour
cools, it condenses
back to liquid.
Solid water is ice.
Note that water
Ice melts to liquid water.
vapour is an
invisible gas. If you
can see a cloud of
“steam”, it is
actually a cloud of
tiny little liquid
droplets. Clouds in
the sky are also
made of tiny liquid
Liquid water can droplets which
freeze to ice. have condensed
from water vapour.
Ice is solid water, but it is still the substance water.
Water vapour is a gas, but it is still water.
When a substance changes its state, it remains the same substance.
It can change its state over and over again, but it is still the same stuff.
KCiC.03 Solids, Liquids & Gases Slide 6 Usage & copying is permitted according to the
copyright © 2009 keep it simple science Site Licence Conditions only
www.keepitsimplescience.com.au
®

keep it simple science


Activity 1
The following activity might be completed by class discussion,
or your teacher may have paper copies for you to do.

The States of Matter Student Name .................................

1. Which state(s) of matter:


a) has/have a definite shape?
b) can be easily compressed?
c) can be described as “fluid”?
d) always completely fill the container?
e) cannot be easily compressed?

2. What word describes the change of state:


a) from liquid to solid?
b) from liquid to gas?
c) from solid to gas?
d) from gas to liquid?
e) solid to liquid?

KCiC.03 Solids, Liquids & Gases Slide 7 Usage & copying is permitted according to the
copyright © 2009 keep it simple science Site Licence Conditions only
www.keepitsimplescience.com.au
The Moving-Particle Model
®

keep it simple science

How can the properties of solids, liquids and gases be explained?


We believe that all substances are made of tiny lumps of matter we call particles.
Each particle can be imagined to be like a tiny solid ball, too small to see.
Solid Liquid Gas

The particles are tightly The particles are tightly The particles are far apart.
packed together. packed together. This explains why gases are easily
This explains why solids are This explains why liquids are compressible. It is easy to push the
incompressible. incompressible. particles closer together.
The particles are able to move
They are held firmly in place by around, bumping and jostling The particles are flying in all
forces of attraction. each other. directions at high speed, colliding
This is why solids are hard, with This explains why liquids have and bouncing away again.
a fixed shape. no fixed shape, and take the This explains why they have no
Although the particles are fixed shape of their container. fixed shape, and totally fill their
in place, they vibrate and jiggle This also explains how they can container.
around a bit. flow as a “fluid”.
Notice that in every case the particles are moving.
KCiC.03 Solids, Liquids & Gases In solids, they only vibrate in one place. In liquids they move around
copyright © 2009 keep it simple science
www.keepitsimplescience.com.au among each other. In gases they fly freely at high speed.
Slide 8 Usage & copying is permitted according to the
Site Licence Conditions only
Scientific Models
®

keep it simple science

Is this description (previous slide) of So overall, the description of matter in


solids, liquids and gases real? the previous slide is partly true, but is
Well, yes, and no. not the full story.

We have many good reasons to believe Scientists often develop “models” of


that all matter is made of small particles things that cannot easily be seen. This
called atoms. Often they join together in helps in understanding and explaining
larger lumps called “molecules”. the observed facts.

So long as the model


However, we also explains things, and
know that atoms always remains totally
are not solid ball- in agreement with what
like particles, but we can see and
are made of many measure, then it is
smaller pieces. useful, even if it is a
simplification or not
There are forces quite the full story.
of attraction For now, ball-like
between atoms “particles” will be our
and molecules. model of matter.
KCiC.03 Solids, Liquids & Gases Slide 9 Usage & copying is permitted according to the
copyright © 2009 keep it simple science Site Licence Conditions only
www.keepitsimplescience.com.au
®

keep it simple science Moving Particles? What Makes Them Move?


The answer is “Heat Energy”.

When you add heat energy to any substance, the particles in it do not get hotter...
they get faster. When something cools down, the particles
do not get any colder... they go slower.
Heat Energy added.

Moving particles Particles move faster.


in a substance. Temperature has increased.
The measurement we call “temperature” is actually a measure of how fast
(on average) the particles are moving.

In a solid substance the particles cannot move around, but only vibrate.
When a solid is heated, the particles vibrate faster,
but still stay in their fixed place.

Note: The energy of a moving thing is called “Kinetic Energy”.


The Moving-Particle Model is sometimes called the
“Kinetic Theory (Model) of Matter”.
KCiC.03 Solids, Liquids & Gases Slide 10 Usage & copying is permitted according to the
copyright © 2009 keep it simple science Site Licence Conditions only
www.keepitsimplescience.com.au
Changes of State... Again
®

keep it simple science

With a knowledge of what heat energy does to Evaporation


particles, we can explain what happens in a
Particles in a liquid are close
change of state. together, but move around
among each other.
Melting
Heat
Particles in a solid are Added
vibrating, but are held in place When heated, the particles move
by forces of attraction. faster. Even at relatively low
temperatures, a few particles
have enough energy to fly off
Heat into the gas state. Some of the
Adding heat makes the particles Added liquid is evaporating.
vibrate faster. The forces
between them are still there, but
the particles have more energy
More Heat
so the forces are almost Added
At a particular temperature
overcome.
(the “boiling point”)
More Heat many of the particles reach
Added the speed to evaporate.
At a certain temperature (the Bubbles of gas vapour
“melting point”) the particles form within the liquid... the
break free from their positions liquid is boiling.
and begin moving around. The
forces are still there, but unable
to hold them. The particles are
still close together, but moving
among each other. The solid
has melted!
KCiC.03 Solids, Liquids & Gases Slide 11 Usage & copying is permitted according to the
copyright © 2009 keep it simple science Site Licence Conditions only
www.keepitsimplescience.com.au
®

keep it simple science


Activity 2
The following activity might be completed by class discussion,
or your teacher may have paper copies for you to do.

The Moving-Particle Model Student Name .................................

1. What aspect of the Moving-Particle Model explains why:


a) solids & liquids are both very difficult to compress?

b) gases are relatively easy to compress?

c) solids are generally hard with a definite shape?

d) liquids & gases are “fluids” which can flow and have no fixed shape?

e) gases always fill the entire container they are in.

2. According to the “Moving-Particle Model” for matter:


a) what kind of energy makes the particles move?

b) what is temperature really a measurement of?

c) how can a solid melt to become a liquid if it is heated?

KCiC.03 Solids, Liquids & Gases Slide 12 Usage & copying is permitted according to the
copyright © 2009 keep it simple science Site Licence Conditions only
www.keepitsimplescience.com.au
Heat Expansion
®

keep it simple science

It is an observed fact that substances expand (get bigger) as they get hotter,
and contract (shrink) as they get cooler.
How does our Moving-Particle Model explain this?
In a Solid... In a Liquid...
Particles in a solid are Particles in a liquid are
vibrating, but are held in close together, but
place by forces of move around among
attraction. each other.

Heat Heat
Added Added
Adding heat makes the
When heated, the particles
particles vibrate faster. As
move faster. They collide
they jiggle and push faster and harder and push
against each other, they are each other away. This
forced a little further apart. causes the volume of the
This makes the solid liquid to get bigger.
substance get bigger and The liquid expands and
occupy more space. occupies more space.
KCiC.03 Solids, Liquids & Gases Very Important: Notice that the particles DO NOT expand.
copyright © 2009 keep it simple science The particles force each other a bit further apart so the
www.keepitsimplescience.com.au
substance expands, but the particles stay the same size.
Slide 13
Usage & copying is permitted according to the
Site Licence Conditions only
Investigating Heat Expansion ®

keep it simple science

You may do some experiments, or see Heat Expansion in Structures


demonstrations, of heat expansion. Heat expansion is a factor that must be
allowed for when designing and building
roads, railways, bridges and buildings.

On a hot day metal and concrete will expand,


and will shrink again during a cold night. If
this was not allowed for, the structure could
warp or crack, and be damaged.
When both are cold, the ball fits through the These structures are built with gaps, or
ring. When the ball is heated, it expands flexible joints, to allow heat expansion to
and won’t fit through. occur without damage.
When warmed up, the liquid The Sydney Harbour Bridge has a huge hinge
expands, so it rises up in the at the base of the steel arch so the whole
narrow glass tube. structure can flex and move.
This is the same principle as
a thermometer
KCiC.03 Solids, Liquids & Gases
copyright © 2009 keep it simple science
www.keepitsimplescience.com.au

Slide 14

Usage & copying is permitted according to the


Site Licence Conditions only
®

Heat Expansion in a Gas keep it simple science

You might also investigate heat expansion in a Gas Pressure


gas, as suggested by these diagrams.
Flask full of air, Remember that in a
with balloon fitted gas the particles are
over it. constantly flying
everywhere at high
Heated in a bowl Cooled speed.
of hot water in
fridge They frequently collide with each other, and with the
walls of their container. Each collision pushes on the
Air inside of the container, or on each other. This means
expands there is a constant push, or force, acting within the
and Air contracts gas.
inflates and balloon
balloon collapses
Pressure is measured as the amount of force
pushing per unit of area.
Expansion of a gas can be explained the same The unit of pressure used The “pascal” unit is
as before... particles move faster and push most often in science is named in honour of the
each other further apart. the kilopascal (kPa) great French scientist and
mathematician
1 kPa = 1,000 N force per Blaise Pascal (1623-62).
However, what if the gas is inside a strong
square metre.
container that cannot expand the way a balloon
can? Some examples of pressure values
Normal air pressure (sea level) ≅ 100 kPa
Now you must know about Pressure. Inflated car tyre ≅ 200 kPa
Inside a scuba airtank ≅ 800kPa
KCiC.03 Solids, Liquids & Gases Slide 15
copyright © 2009 keep it simple science
www.keepitsimplescience.com.au Usage & copying is permitted according to the
Site Licence Conditions only
®

keep it simple science Changes in Gas Pressure due to Heating


What might happen if you heated a gas inside a strong Pressure Gauge
measures gas
container which cannot change its shape? pressure

When heated, the particles move faster and push


harder against each other and the container...
so the pressure goes up.
Gas in a rigid After heating,
OK, so it’s a strong container, but there is a limit to how container, particles move faster,
strong it is. If the pressure rises too high, the pressure before heating. pressure rises
can cause it to burst.

This why you should never dispose of an aeorsol spray can in a fireplace or incinerator.
As it gets hot the pressure will rise and it may explode.

Even more dangerous are pressure cylinders of fuel gas. If there is a fire in a house or factory, not
only might the cylinder explode from rising pressure, but the escaping fuel will then burn. This is
why large gas cylinders are always stored outside buildings.
KCiC.03 Solids, Liquids & Gases Slide 16 Usage & copying is permitted according to the
copyright © 2009 keep it simple science Site Licence Conditions only
www.keepitsimplescience.com.au
Air Pressure
®

keep it simple science Air Pressure and Weather


Most of our winds, storms and weather patterns are due to
air pressure effects in the atmosphere.
Air Pressure and Your Body
Normal air pressure at sea In some places, a huge “bubble” of the air (maybe 1,000 km
level is about 100 kPa. across) can warm up. This “bubble” expands so that the air
Over the area of your whole body particles become further apart and the air pressure becomes
this means a total force equivalent lower than the surrounding air.
to about 1 tonne is pressing on you. This is a “low pressure cell”.
How come you don’t feel squashed? Meanwhile, in another
place the air is cooling
Simply because your body has the and contracting. The H
same amount of pressure inside, air particles are
pushing outwards. forced closer
together, so the L
If you go up in an aircraft, or drive up pressure rises... a
a high mountain, the outside “high pressure
air pressure gets less. You will feel the pressure difference in cell”.
your ears, until it equalises again. H
L
Both pressure systems
Astronauts in space or on the Moon begin to rotate because of the
(no air) need pressure suits not just to spin of the Earth, so circular winds blow around each “cell”.
breathe, but to protect them from the
zero pressure around them. Their own Low pressure cells often bring storms and rain (and
“body pressure” pushing outwards cyclones) while “highs” tend to bring fine, dry
would cause fatal damage without the weather. Both create the winds that blow around
suit. them, and from one to the other.

KCiC.03 Solids, Liquids & Gases Slide 17 Usage & copying is permitted according to the
copyright © 2009 keep it simple science Site Licence Conditions only
www.keepitsimplescience.com.au
®

keep it simple science Tricks with Air Pressure


Shelled, hard-boiled
Totally fill a glass with water. Slide egg, will NOT fit into
a piece of cardboard over it so this flask
there are no air bubbles inside. Now boil the water in
the flask. The flask fills
Place a small with water vapour
Support the cardboard with your amount of water
hand while carefully turning the which pushes some of
in the flask
glass upside-down. the air out.
Let go of the cardboard.
Turn off the heat, and immediately
The water defies gravity and place the egg on the neck of the Air Pressure
stays in the glass! flask.

As the gas inside cools, and some


Explanation: the air pressure force water vapour condenses, the inside
on the cardboard is stronger than pressure drops.
the downward weight of the water.
Less
(But let air bubbles in, and see Outside air pressure now pushes pressure
what happens!) the egg into the flask. inside

Air Pressure Fascinating to watch!

KCiC.03 Solids, Liquids & Gases Slide 18 Usage & copying is permitted according to the
copyright © 2009 keep it simple science Site Licence Conditions only
www.keepitsimplescience.com.au
®

keep it simple science


Activity 3
The following activity might be completed by class discussion,
or your teacher may have paper copies for you to do.

Heat Expansion & Pressure Student Name .................................

1.
a) What is “heat expansion”?

b) Explain why railway lines are always laid with a small gap between the
pieces of metal rail.

c) At the level of the particles, what causes heat expansion?

2.
a) What is meant by “pressure”?

b) Explain what causes the pressure in a gas.

c) If a gas is in a flexible container (e.g. a balloon) and it gets hotter, what might
happen?

d) What would happen if the gas is in a strong, rigid (not flexible) container and
it gets hotter?

KCiC.03 Solids, Liquids & Gases Slide 19 Usage & copying is permitted according to the
copyright © 2009 keep it simple science Site Licence Conditions only
www.keepitsimplescience.com.au
Density
®

keep it simple science

Which is heavier? Units of Mass & Volume


1 kg of lead or 1kg of cotton wool?
In the laboratory, we normally
measure mass in grams (g).

Volume means the amount of space


something occupies. Small solid
objects would normally be measured
in cubic centimetres (cm3).
1 kg
1 kg Lead cotton wool
volume

1 cm
1 cm3

cm
1 cm

1
Well, of course, they are the same mass;
1 kg each. However, the lead has all its mass Liquid volumes are
packed in a very small space or “volume”, measured in
while the cotton wool occupies a large volume millilitres (mL).
for the same mass.
These 2 different units of
The real difference here is “Density”. volume are actually the
same amount.
Density means the amount of 1 cm3 = 1 mL
mass per unit of volume.
KCiC.03 Solids, Liquids & Gases Slide 20 Usage & copying is permitted according to the
copyright © 2009 keep it simple science Site Licence Conditions only
www.keepitsimplescience.com.au
®
How to Calculate Density keep it simple science

Once the mass and volume of anything is Example Calculations


measured, its density can be calculated as 1.
follows:
A piece of lead has a volume of 2.5 cm3
and a mass of 27.5 g. What is its density?
Density = Mass
Volume Solution: D=m/V
D= m = 27.5 / 2.5
= 11.0
V
∴ density is 11.0 g/cm3
If mass is in grams,
and volume in cm3, then 2.
density will be in grams per cm3 (g/cm3) A pack of cotton wool has a mass of 20g and
it occupies a volume of 500 cm3.
Other possible units include What is its density?
g/mL and kg/m3
KCiC.03 Solids, Liquids & Gases
Solution: D=m/V
Slide 21
copyright © 2009 keep it simple science = 20 / 500
www.keepitsimplescience.com.au
= 0.04
Usage & copying is permitted according to the ∴ density is 0.04 g/cm3
Site Licence Conditions only
®

keep it simple science


Density and the Moving-Particle Model
How does the Moving-Particle Model of matter explain density differences?

Solids, Liquids & Gases We could predict from the model that solids and liquids
Remember how the particles are arranged in the different should have similar densities. Both solids and liquids should
states of matter. be far denser than a gas, assuming the particles are all the
same weight.
In solids the particles are
packed close together, and Sure enough, if the density of any pure substance is
fixed in place. measured the results are similar to the following.

Example Density (g/cm3)


Solid ice 0.92
Liquid water 1.0
In liquids, the particles are Water vapour 0.0007
also close together, but able
to move around. Note that the solid and liquid densities are similar, and both
much higher than the gas.

Water is unusual because the solid is slightly less dense than


the liquid.

In most substances the solid is slightly more dense because


In gases, the particles are the particles just move a bit further apart in the liquid, as
far apart and moving at high shown in the diagrams.
speed.
The slightly weird behaviour of ice and water
will be explained later.
KCiC.03 Solids, Liquids & Gases Slide 22 Usage & copying is permitted according to the
copyright © 2009 keep it simple science Site Licence Conditions only
www.keepitsimplescience.com.au
®

keep it simple science Density and the Moving-Particle Model cont.


Comparing Different Solids Particles Pack Differently
How does our model explain the different Compare aluminium with silicon:
densities of different substances? Density (g/cm3)
Aluminium 3 (approx)
Particles Have Different Mass Silicon 2 (approx)
Compare the metal aluminium with the metal lead:
Density (g/cm3)
In this case the particles of these 2 substances are almost
Aluminium 3 (approx)
Lead 11 (approx) exactly the same size and weight.
So why are their densities different?
Why such a difference?
It’s because of
the way their
particles pack
Aluminium Silicon
together.
Aluminium Lead
The particles of silicon do not pack as tightly together
Both types of particles pack together tightly. They are as those of aluminium, so the density is lower.
a bit different in size, but more importantly, each lead
particle is much heavier than each aluminium particle. The density of every substance depends on the
mass of its particles, and how they pack together.
Lead is denser because its particles are heavier.
KCiC.03 Solids, Liquids & Gases Slide 23 Usage & copying is permitted according to the
copyright © 2009 keep it simple science Site Licence Conditions only
www.keepitsimplescience.com.au
Density and Heat Expansion
®

keep it simple science

You’ve already learnt about heat expansion. What does that do to density?
Generally, as a substance gets hotter its particles move faster.
They collide harder and more often, and push each other apart slightly.

Heat More Heat


Added
Substance
Melts
Adding heat makes the particles vibrate faster. As they jiggle and Particles in a liquid are
push against each other, they are forced a little further apart. still close together, but
This makes the solid substance get bigger and occupy more space. usually a bit further apart
than in the solid.
When heat expansion happens, the Since D = m/V, if the volume increases,
substance (solid or liquid) gets bigger but mass is still the same,
and has slightly more volume. then the density must get less.
(However, these changes in density are only slight compared to the
huge difference from liquid to gas.)
KCiC.03 Solids, Liquids & Gases Slide 24 Usage & copying is permitted according to the
copyright © 2009 keep it simple science Site Licence Conditions only
www.keepitsimplescience.com.au
Water the Weirdo!
®

keep it simple science

Most of the time, water acts just like all other Why Water Expands on Freezing
substances. This is tricky to explain. You need to
know that the “particles” in water are
For example here are its density values over a range not actually ball-like, but shaped like this:
of temperatures, getting cooler.
Temperature (oC) Density (g/cm3) In liquid water, these
99 0.96 particles can wriggle in
75 0.98 very close to each other
50 0.99 for maximum density.
25 0.997
5 1.00
Like other substances, as you cool water down it shrinks However, as water freezes to
slightly and its density rises a little. ice the particles are forced to
line up in organized “ranks”,
However, when you cool other substances further until they so they are actually slightly
freeze (solidify) they keep shrinking and density continues further apart.
to rise. But look at what happens to water:
Temperature (oC) Density (g/cm3) This is why water expands as it freezes, and ice floats
5 1.00 in water... ice has a lower density.
0 (still liquid) 0.99
0 (ice) 0.92 (This also explains why a can of drink will split open
As water freezes, it expands, and the if frozen; the water expands as it freezes.)
density gets lower! Why?
KCiC.03 Solids, Liquids & Gases Slide 25 Usage & copying is permitted according to the
copyright © 2009 keep it simple science Site Licence Conditions only
www.keepitsimplescience.com.au
® Density and Flotation
keep it simple science
Why do some things float and others sink?
It’s all a matter of density. Study these diagrams to spot the rule.
Wood Wood Wood
d = 0.9 g/cm3 d = 0.9 g/cm3 d = 0.9 g/cm3
Floats! Petrol
Water Steel d = 0.7 g/cm3 Steel
d = 1.0 g/cm3 d = 8 g/cm3
Steel d = 8 g/cm3 Mercury
d = 8 g/cm3 Both Sink! Both Float! d = 13 g/cm3
Sinks!
Can you see the pattern? Things will float if their density is less than the liquid.
They will sink if their density is more than the liquid.
How Can a Steel Ship Float? A submarine has
Because of its shape, the ship contains a lot of air special ballast
within its total volume. This means its overall density tanks. When these
is only about 0.7 g/cm3. tanks are filled with air, the sub’s density is less
than water, so it floats.
Since fresh water
has d = 1.0 g/cm3, If the tanks are filled with
the ship floats. water the sub’s density is
higher than water,
It floats even better in sea water so it can dive.
which has a higher density.
(salt water, d = 1.3 g/cm3) Cruising underwater, the tanks are adjusted so that
the sub has the same density as the sea... “neutral
If the ship gets a hole in it and enough air spaces fill buoyancy”. In this state it neither sinks nor floats, but
with water, the density rises and it may sink. hangs in the water, and it can manoeuvre easily.

KCiC.03 Solids, Liquids & Gases Slide 26 Usage & copying is permitted according to the
copyright © 2009 keep it simple science Site Licence Conditions only
www.keepitsimplescience.com.au
®

keep it simple science


Activity 4
The following activity might be completed by class discussion,
or your teacher may have paper copies for you to do.

Density Student Name .................................


1. What is meant by density and what units might it be measured in?

2. Generally, how does the density of a solid, liquid and gas (of the same pure
substance) compare? Explain your answer using the basics of the Moving-
Particle Model.

3. At the particle level, the density of a pure substance depends on 2 main


factors. What are they and how do they affect density?

4.
a) What happens to density during the heat expansion of a substance?

b) What happens to the density of most substances as a liquid is cooled and


then frozen to a solid?

c) Generally then, would a pure solid float or sink in a liquid of the same pure
substance?

d) What is unusual about the density of water as it freezes?

KCiC.03 Solids, Liquids & Gases Slide 27 Usage & copying is permitted according to the
copyright © 2009 keep it simple science Site Licence Conditions only
www.keepitsimplescience.com.au
®

keep it simple science


Diffusion
You might do one of these activities yourself, or see it demonstrated.

one drop The food Gas Jar


of food colour spreads of air
colour out through When the
dye the water by glass separator is
itself. separator removed,
Water the two
Without any gases mix
stirring, it auto- Gas Jar of themselves
mixes through brown gas together.
the water.

Fluids (liquids and gases) seem to be The explanation is in the Moving-


able to mix themselves together Particle Model of matter. In liquids and
automatically. gases, the particles are moving around.
If 2 different gases or liquids are side-
This process is called “Diffusion”. by-side, then the moving particles will
automatically mix.
The coloured solution can mix itself
through the beaker of water. The Is diffusion faster in liquid or gas?
brown gas can mix with the air What effect would temperature have?
without any help.
KCiC.03 Solids, Liquids & Gases Slide 28 Usage & copying is permitted according to the
copyright © 2009 keep it simple science Site Licence Conditions only
www.keepitsimplescience.com.au

You might also like