Matter

States of matter

There are three main states of matter which you need to know for the MYP:  solid, liquid and gas. These states are dependent on the temperature of the substance.

Particle arrangement and movement

State Arrangement of particles Movement of particles Diagram
Solid Close together and structured Only vibrate
Liquid  Close together and unstructured Move around while still staying connected
Gas Far apart and random Free to go anywhere

Shape and Compressibility 

 

State Shape Compressibility
Solid Fixed shape cannot flow, because the bonds between the particles prevent any movement Cannot be compressed as there is no space for the particles to move into as they are already tightly packed. 
Liquid Takes shape of container and can flow because enough bonds are broken to allow movement Cannot be compressed as there is no space for the particles to move into 
Gas Completely fills container and flows quickly as their are no bonds restraining it.  Can be highly compressed as there is a lot of free space.



Brownian motion

Definition: Brownian motion is the random motion of particles in a fluid due to continuous collisions  from the molecules in the medium surrounding them.

E.g The motion of smoke particles viewed under a microscope. 

Editors

View count: 3539