Csec Chemistry Chapter 1: States of Matter

Objectives:

1.1

Explain how evidence supports the particulate theory of matter;

Evidence obtained from practical work involving processes, such as diffusion and
osmosis. Use of salt or sugar to control garden pests and as a preservative.
Experiments of diffusion of ammonia and hydrogen chloride gases in cylindrical
tube.
Osmosis of Pawpaw (green) strips in a container of distilled water.
Potassium manganate (VII) in water

1.2

Distinguish among the three states of matter;

Arrangement of particles, energy of particles, strength of forces of interaction.
Consideration of physical characteristics of states.
Example: Volume, density, compressibility.

1.3

Explain the changes between the three states of matter in terms of energy and
arrangement of particles.
Consideration of freezing, melting, boiling, evaporation, sublimation,
condensation; heating and cooling curves.
Solids, Liquid, Gas

The three states of matter are solids, liquids and gases. Most substances can exist in all
three states depending on the temperature

 Solid (ice) below 0c

 Liquid (water) between 0c and 100c
 Gas (steam) above 100 c

The particulate theory of matter states:

 All matter is made up of particles

 The particles are in constant, random motion either vibrate (as in solids) or move
from place to place (as in liquids and gases) and temperature affects the speed of
motion
 There are forces of attraction and repulsion between the particles

The particles that make up matter can be atoms, molecules or ions.

 An atom is the smallest unis of a chemical element which have all the characteristics
of the element
 A molecule is a particle containing two or more atoms bonded together and which
can exist on their own. Molecules can be made up of atoms of the same kind or
different kinds
 An ion is an atom or group of atoms with either a positive or negative charge. Ions
may be formed from a single atom. The may also be formed from groups of two or
more atoms bonded together

Evidence to support the particulate theory of matter

The processes of diffusion and osmosis provide evidence to support the fact that all
matter is made of particles

Diffusion

Diffusion is the net movement of particles from a region of higher concentration to a

region of lower concentration, until the particles are evenly distributed due to random
movement of the particles

Example 1:

When pieces of cotton wool soaked in concentrated ammonia solution and concentrated
hydrochloric acid are placed simultaneously at opposite ends of a glass tube, a white ring
of ammonium chloride forms inside the tube. Ammonia solution gives of ammonia gas
and hydrochloric acid gives of hydrogen chloride gas. The particles of the gases diffuse
through the air inside the tube, collide and react to form ammonium chloride.
Example 2:

When a purple potassium manganate (VII) crystal is placed in water, it dissolves to

produce a uniformly purple solution. The particles making up the crystal separate from
each other and diffuse through the spaces between the water particles until they were
evenly distributed

Osmosis:

Osmosis is the movement of water molecules through a differentially permeable

membrane from a solution containing a lot of water molecules to a solution containing
fewer water molecules

Example 1:

When a dilute sucrose solution is separated from a concentrated sucrose solution by a

differentially permeable membrane, water molecules move through the membrane from
the dilute solution into the concentrated solution but the sucrose molecules cannot move
in the other direction. The volume of the concentrated solution increases and the volume
of the dilute solution decreases
Example 2:

The membranes of living cells are differentially permeable and the cytoplasm inside the
cell contains 80% water

 When a strip of living tissue is place in water, water molecules move into the cells by
osmosis. Each cell swells slightly, and the strop increases in length and becomes rigid
 When the strip is placed in a concentrated sodium-chloride solution water molecules
move out of the cells by osmosis. Each cell shrinks slightly and the strip decreases in
length and becomes softer

Uses of Osmosis:

 To control garden pests:

Slugs and snails are garden pests, whose skin is differentially permeable and always
moist. When salt is sprinkled on slugs and snails, it dissolved in the moisture around
their bodies forming a concentrated solution. Water inside their bodies move out by
osmosis and into the solution. The slugs and snails die from dehydration if their
bodies lose more water than they can tolerate

 To preserve food: Salt and sugar are used to preserve food such as meat, fish and
fruit.

They draw water out of the cells of the food by osmosis. This prevents the food from
decaying because there is no water available in the cells for the chemical reactions
which cause the decay

They draw water out of microorganisms by osmosis. This prevents the food from
decaying because it inhibits the growth of the micro-organisms that cause this decay

Comparison of the three states of matter

Changing States:

Matter can exist in any of the three states depending on its temperature. It can change
from one state to another by heating or cooling as this causes a change in the kinetic
energy and arrangement of the particles:

 When a solid is heated, it usually changes states to a liquid and then a gas. This
occurs because the particles gain kinetic energy, move increasingly faster and further
apart and the forces of attraction between them become increasingly weaker
 When a gas is cooled it usually changes states to a liquid and then to a solid. This
occurs because the particles lose kinetic energy, move more and more slowly and
closer together and the forces of attraction between them become increasingly
stronger

 In melting and boiling/ evaporation energy is absorbed

 In condensing and freezing energy is released

Evaporation and Boiling are different in the following ways:

Evaporation can take place at any temperature, whereas boiling occurs at a specific
temperature.

Evaporation takes place at the surface of the liquid only, where-as boiling takes place
throughout the liquid
Sublimation:

Sublimation is the direct change from a solid to a gas on heating without any liquid state
being formed. It also refers to the direct change of a gas to a solid on cooling without the
liquid state being formed

. The reverse process in which a gas changes directly to a solid is called deposition.

Examples of substances that sublime include carbon dioxide (solid carbon dioxide
changes directly to carbon dioxide gas when heated), iodine and naphthalene

Heating and Cooling Curves:

A heating curve is drawn when the temperature of a solid is measured at intervals as it

is heated and changes states to a liquid and then to a gas and the temperature is then
plotted against time

Heat gives the particles more energy to move and overcome the forces between them

A solid melt when the particles have enough energy to break free from their normal
positions and move around

A cooling curve is drawn when the temperature of a gas is measured at intervals as it is

cooled and changes state to a liquid and then to a solid and the temperature is then
plotted against time

Cooling removes energy from the particles so that they slow down

Graph Explanation:

 AB: Increasing heat energy increases the vibrations of the particles in the solid. So
the temperature of the solid increases
 BC: The forces of attraction between the particles are weakened enough so that the
particles slide over each other. The temperature is constant because the energy is
going in to overcome the forces between the particles instead of raising the
temperature. The substances melt
 CD: Increasing the energy increases the movement of the particles in the liquid. So
the temperature of the liquid increases
 DE: The forces of attraction between the particles are weakened enough so that the
particles move well away from each other. The temperature is constant because the
energy is going in to overcome the forces between the particles instead of raising the
temperature. The substance boils
 EF: Increasing the energy increases the speed of the gas particles. So the
temperature increases

The melting point is the constant temperature at which a solid changes states
into a liquid

The boiling point is the constant temperature at which a liquid changes states
into a gas

The freezing point is the constant temperature at which a liquid changes

states into a solid

Graph showing how the temperature of a gas changes when it is cooled to form
a liquid and then a solid

 When the gas is cooled, the particles lose kinetic energy. The temperature falls
(AB)
 The particles become attracted to each other
 Energy is released and the gas turns to a liquid (BC)
 When the liquid is cooled, the particles lose more energy. The temperature falls
(CD)
 Energy is released and the liquid turns to a solid (DE)