Matter Booklet

Lesson 1 Particles and density

In year 7 we learnt that particles are the building blocks of matter. We learnt that they can exist in
3 states solids, liquids and gases and that solids were denser than liquids which were denser than
gases.

Which weighs more – a kilogram of

feathers or a kilogram of iron? They
weight the same!! Which would take
up more space? Density is the amount
of matter a substance has in relation
to its volume. It is a sign of how
closely packed the particles of a
substance are.

But if we consider the picture to the

right, we realise that this is not the
whole truth. So, this topic extends on
our understanding of how particles
and forces interact.

1. Complete the table below to check what you recall form year 7

Density

Density is the amount of matter (particles) in a specific volume. Particles that are close packed will
have a greater mass in the same volume, increasing the density. Gold is very dense material, it has
heavy particles that are closely packed. Helium has a very low density because its particles are
spread apart and are very light.

The density can be calculated using the following equation:

 g or Kg

3
g/cm or

3 3 3
Kg/m cm or m

2. Explain the following in terms of

a) Bubbles always rise to the surface
b) A hot air balloon rises when the burner is turned on
c) In a kettle, all the water boils even though the heat is at the base of the kettle
3. Predict whether the following will float or sink in water.
The density of water at 25°C is 1.0 g/cm3

Substance Density Float or sink? Explain

(g/cm3)
Brick 1.9
Cork 0.12
Concrete 2.3
Oil 0.72
Lithium 0.535
4. Jan says to the class. “I think the copper penny will sink if dropped on mercury” Is she right
or wrong? Explain your answer Using the data below
Liquid mercury = 13.5g/cm3 copper penny = 8.96 g/cm3

Investigating density

Follow the instructions and write your answers in the table provided:
1) Take your block to the balance
2) Record its mass
3) Calculate its volume using a ruler
4) Calculate its density

Material Mass (g) Volume (cm3) Density (g/cm3 )

5. Which substance had the highest mass?

6. Which substance had the largest volume?
7. Which substance had the largest density?
 8. Look back at the fish tank with two bowling balls in. Paul says “One is floating and the
other is sinking because of density” Paul is right but his answer lacks detail. Explain why
one floats and the other sinks. Use the words density, mass, volume, weight and upthrust
in your answer

Calculating density
Example 1: Calculate the Example 2: Calculate the Example 3: Calculate the
density of an object with a density of an object with a density of an object that has
mass of 150g and a volume of mass of 300g and a volume of amass of 200g and a volume of
300cm3 150cm3 150cm3
1. Equation: write it out 1. Equation: write it out
ρ=m÷v ρ= E
2. Values: Write out, check 2. Values: Write out, check
units are correct units are correct V
ρ= ? m= 150g v= 300 ρ= ? m= v=
3.Enter values: into equation 3.Enter values: into equation E
ρ=150 ÷ 300 ρ=
4.Result 4. Result R
ρ=150 ÷ 300= 0.5 ρ=
5.(Y)UNITS (if needed) 5. (Y)UNITS (if needed) Y
3
0.5 g/cm
9. Calculate the density of a block of metal with mass 1.2g and volume 0.3cm 3.
10. Calculate the density of a concrete block which has a volume of 1000cm 3 and a mass of
2400g
11. Calculate the density of an iron bar with a mass of 39300kg and a volume of 5 m 3 (hint:
make sure you give the correct unit!)
12. Calculate the density of a piece of rubber that has a volume of 0.33m 3and a mass of 506kg

Calculating mass
Example 1: Calculate the mass Example 2: Calculate the mass Example 3: Calculate the mass
of an object with a density of of an object with a density of of an object that has a density
0.5g/cm3 and a volume of 300g/cm3 and a volume of of 3.5g/cm3 and a volume of
300cm3 150cm3 150cm3
1. Equation: write it out 1. Equation: write it out
ρ=m÷v ρ= E
2. Values: Write out, check 2. Values: Write out, check
units are correct units are correct V
ρ= 0.5 m= ? v= 300 ρ= m= ? v=
3.Enter values: into equation 3.Enter values: into equation E
0.5 =m ÷ 300 ρ=
4.Result 4. Result R
m=0.5 x 300= 150 m=
5.(Y)UNITS (if needed) 5. (Y)UNITS (if needed) Y
150g

13. Calculate the mass of an object that has a density of 13 g/cm 3 and a volume of 39cm3
14. A chess piece has a volume of 6.75cm3 and a density of 14g/cm3. Calculate the mass. Give
your answer to 2dp
15. A table has a density of 0.71g/cm3 and a volume of 21,127 cm3 calculate the mass.
 16. Convert your answer above into kilograms. Give your answer to 2sf.

Calculating volume
Example 1: Calculate the Example 2: Calculate the Example 3: Calculate the
volume of an object with a volume of an object with a volume of an object that has a
mass of 150g and a density of mass of 300g and a density of 2 mass of 200g and a density of
0.5g/cm3 g/cm3 12g/cm3
1. Equation: write it out 1. Equation: write it out
ρ=m÷v ρ= E
2. Values: Write out, check 2. Values: Write out, check
units are correct units are correct V
ρ= 0.5 m= 150g v= ? ρ= m= v= ?
3.Enter values: into equation 3.Enter values: into equation E
0.5=150 ÷ v v=
4.Result 4. Result R
v=150 ÷ 0.5= 300 v=
5.(Y)UNITS (if needed) 5. (Y)UNITS (if needed) Y
3
300 cm
17. Calculate the volume of an object with a mass of 600g and a density of 2g/cm 3
18. Calculate the volume of an object with a mass of 50kg and a density of 2kg/m 3
19. Calculate the volume of an object with a mass of 250kg and a density of 0.5kg/m 3

L2 Brownian Motion and Diffusion

Brownian motion, is the random movement of particles suspended
in a fluid (liquid or gas). It occurs from their collision with fast
moving molecules of the fluid. Imagine standing in a room full of
people who were all running in different directions and imagine
how you would be knocked about the room. Your motion could be
described as Brownian. This is what it is like to be a particle in a
liquid or gas.

Potassium permanganate in a beaker demo

20. How were

the particles of potassium permanganate
arranged at the start?
21. What happened as time passed?
22. What word describes the way the potassium
permanganate moved through the water?
23. We didn’t stir the mixture so what provided
the energy to help them spread out?
This is essentially what Brownian motion is. You
already know about it but didn’t know what it
was called
 Diffusion is the passive movement of a substance from
an area of high concentration to an area of low
concentration. Diffusion happens in liquids and gases
because their particles move randomly from place to
place. Diffusion is an important process for living
things; it is how substances move in and out of cells.

25. What does passive mean?

26. Someone has sprayed Lynx Africa just inside the classroom door!
a) Describe how the smell diffuses around the room, you could draw simple diagrams to help
b) Explain why the students at the front can smell it first
c) Explain why it smell strongest near the door
d) Would it spread faster or slower on a hot day? Justify your answer
27. Frazer says “Diffusion is caused by Brownian motion, the particles move from an area of
low concentration to high concentration. This is an active process.” This answer is wrong.
Write the correct sentence in your book.

L3 Pressure in liquids

We know that pressure is a measure of how much force is applied over

a given area. We can calculate the pressure applied if we know the
area and the force. If we increase the area, we decrease the pressure
applied by a force. Pressure can be calculated using the following
equation. (You will have to be able to arrange this and calculate any
of the three factors)

33. Calculate the pressure of a knife with an area of 0.005m 2 and a force of 40N.
34. Calculate the pressure of a shoe with an area of 0.02m 2 and a force of 1400N.
35. Calculate the pressure of a car tyre with an area of 0.5m 2 and a force of 14500N.
36. Calculate the pressure if a car crashes into a wall with 25000N and with a front area of
199cm2
37. A woman of mass 47.5kg on Earth stands in a pair of shoes with an area of 0.003m 2.
Calculate the pressure she is exerting on the ground. (Hint: First calculate her WEIGHT
using weight = mass x gravity)
38. A child of mass 50.4kg on Earth lies on the bed with an area of 0.75m 2. Calculate the
pressure the child is exerting on the bed.

When pressure is applied to a liquid the pressure is transferred through the liquid, (remember that
liquids cannot be compressed but can flow!). This means that the pressure is the same everywhere
in that liquid. This is extremely useful as it means pressure (a force) can be applied anywhere that
liquid comes into contact with a surface. By manipulating the size of the area, a force is applied in
a liquid we can affect the size of the force that is applied elsewhere. This is used in braking
systems, hydraulic machinery and many other situations.

Cartesian diver

A cartesian diver is a great way of understanding the way pressure behaves on a liquid. You can
make one with a straw or pen top, blu tack and a drinks bottle.
 39. Use the diagrams and the keywords to explain the journey of the cartesian diver as you
squeeze the side and release.
Key words: Pressure, compressed, density, float, sink, water, expands, particles, space

40. Boris says “it only works if you squeeze at the top of the bottle because you need to push
down with a force.” Is he correct? Give a reason for your answer

Look at the diagram of the pressure can

41. Explain why the water makes the pattern

it does. Include particles and forces in
your answer

Hydraulic systems take advantage of the fact that the liquids can’t be compressed. This means they
will transmit any pressure they experience. Pressure is the force divided by the area so if we
change the area we can drastically change the force. This can create machines which multiply the
force exerted. Car breaks and power steering are good examples, as is the mechanical arm on a JCB
digger

Worked example

A hydraulic system is shown below. The master piston has an area of 0.2m 2 and the slave piston has
an area of 0.8m2. A force of 10N is applied at X. Calculate the force at Y.

0.8m2
Step 0.2m2 Answer

1. Calculate the pressure of the piston P=F÷A

you have complete data for P= 10 ÷ 0.2
P = 50

2. Include units N/m2

3. The pressure is fully transmitted – 50 N/m2

enter this value here

4. Are you trying to find force or area? Force

5. Substitute your moment value from

step 3 and the remaining value from the Force = 50 x 0.8
 question into the right equation Force = 40
Force = Pressure x Area
Area = Force ÷ Pressure
6. Add units 40 N

Hydraulic Machines
42. What do we mean when we say that a machine is “hydraulic”?
43. Fill in the gaps by crossing out the incorrect phrases:
There are the four key properties of liquids that are important to remember when
looking at hydraulic machines:
a) Liquids will always (flow to take the shape of their container/ keep the same shape) no
matter what container you use.
b) If you have a fixed amount of liquid, then its volume (can change / will always stays the
same) when pressure is applied to it.
c) The pressure in a fluid (acts in all directions / acts in the direction of the
applied force).
d) If a constant force acts throughout a liquid, the pressure (can vary / stays
the same) throughout the liquid.
44. Each of these properties can be explained by thinking of the way particles that
make up the fluid move and interact with each other. How?
45. A mechanic wants to inspect the
bottom of a car for a leak. She tries
to lift the
car using a hydraulic lift.
a) On the diagram, draw and label arrows
to show the direction in which
each of the following forces act:
I. The weight of the car acting on its
piston
II. The force exerted by the
mechanic on her piston
III. The hydraulic force of the liquid
acting on the car’s piston

b) The area underneath the mechanic’s

piston is 0.1m2, and the area underneath
the car’s piston is 10m2. If the cars mass is
1000kg, how much force does the
mechanic need to apply to lift it? (Hint:
remember force is measured in
Newtons, not kilograms!)
c) If the mechanic pushes her piston down by 2 metres, by what distance is the
car lifted?
46. Why do your ears pop if you swim to the bottom of the
deep end at the pool?

L4: Floating and Upthrust

Sir Isaac Newton was the first to realise that forces are
always acting. When a boat is floating its weight is
constantly trying to pull is under the water. Fortunately, is
has a volume large enough to displace water. The water
pushes upwards. This creates a force called upthrust. It will
balance the weight and so there is no resultant force and
the boat stays floating.

Investigating weight in water

Method
1. Collect a newton meter, beaker and an object
2. Record the weight in air
3. Fill the beaker with enough water to submerge the object without it touching the bottom.
4. Submerge the object and record the weight in water.
5. Repeat with other objects and record in a table of your own design in your books.

Conclusion
47. What happened to the weight of the objects in water? Explain why
48. What can you say about the weight of the objects that float?
49. What is the trend between the objects that sink and their weight in water?

Building ships
Ships like aircraft carriers and tankers are absolutely
huge! They are also made of iron. Iron has a density
8g/cm3, about 8 times greater than water. So at first
glance they shouldn’t float, but they do (thankfully!)
The key to their buoyancy is their shape. They are in
fact mainly air with broad sides that dip deep into
the water. This means the upthrust created is much
larger than the mass of the ship. This allows them to
carry cargo.
As the cargo is loaded the boat will begin to dip
deeper into the water.

The problem is the water is not always the same.

Differences in the salt concentration and
temperature effect the amount of upthrust the water can create.
Ships have a plimsoll line to show how much weight they can carry
before they risk sinking. It has markings to show different levels for
different seasons and water types.

50. What is the

name of the
force which
creates and
objects
weight?
51. What is the
name of the
force which prevents a boat sinking?
52. A cork is floating in a beaker, what can we say about the size of the weight and upthrust?
53. Is upthrust a contact or non-contact force?
54. A leaf is floating on a pond, what is the vertical resultant force?
55. Look back to the bowling balls in the first picture. In either case is there a resultant force?
Justify your answer
56. A life ring is thrown into a lake. It floats. Draw a force diagram and label the forces
involved
57. If a tanker moves from sea water to fresh water it needs to make sure it is not
overloaded or it will sink too low in the water. Explain why?
58. Explain why it is easier to float in the swimming pool by lying on your back?
59. Ice from a freezer is put in a glass of water at room temperature. The ice floats in
the water.

(i)     What does this show about the density of the ice compared to that of
water?

         Circle the correct answer.

Ice is more dense than water.                                 

Ice and water have the same density.                    

Ice is less dense than water.                                  

Ice has a density of zero.                                        

1 mark

(ii)     The fact that ice floats in water tells us something about the distances
between the molecules. Tick the correct statement.

The molecules are further apart in ice than in water.

The molecules are the same distance apart in ice and in water.
The molecules are closer together in ice than in water.

60. The diagrams show cells containing and surrounded by oxygen molecules.

Oxygen can move into cells or out of cells.

 
 Into which cell, A, B, C or D, will oxygen move the fastest? Explain why:
61. Complete the following sentence. “Oxygen is taken into the cell by the process of ....”

62. Abi investigated how adding salt to

water affects the way an object floats.
She used the apparatus below.
She used a scale inside a test-tube to
measure the length of the test-tube
above the water level.
a) What factor did Abi change as she
carried out her investigation (the
independent variable)?
Abi plotted her results on a graph

b) On the graph, circle the result which does not fit the pattern.
c) Suggest one reason for this result.
d) Draw a line of best fit on the graph
e) What conclusion can Abi make from the data?
f) Describe two ways of dealing with the anomalous point

L5: Air pressure

The earth is a magnificent world. One of the incredibly special properties of our planet is
its ability to maintain an atmosphere. The atmosphere is the name we give the layer of
gases which surrounds a planet. The Earth’s atmosphere is about 700km high and is made of
different levels. Other planets also have atmospheres some are much denser, like Venus,
whereas others are much thinner like Mars. The earth is much bigger than mars so has much
more gravity. This helps attract the gas particles to the surface and helps explain why our
atmosphere is much thicker.

Gases are ‘ideal’

This means that all gases behave the same way. It doesn’t matter if they are oxygen,
carbon dioxide or hydrogen. This is because the molecules are so small and so far apart
 their different sizes becomes irrelevant. This makes understanding the atmosphere much
easier.
Gases are fluids too – remember, they can flow. Gases have weight – caused by gravity.

Atmospheric pressure
The atmosphere exerts a pressure on us all of the time. We don’t feel it because the air in
our bodies is exerting the same pressure outwards. The forces are balanced. We can use
experiments to prove the existence of atmospheric pressure

Experiment Observation Explanation

Vacuum pump with

marshmallows

Egg in the bottle trick

Inverted jar of water

The collapsing can

63. The diagram below represents the particles found in air.

  

(a)     Complete the following table. Use the diagram and key above to help you.
 
name symbol chemical formula

argon   Ar

 
nitrogen
 

oxygen   O2

   
 

(b)     Air is a gas at room temperature. What evidence in the diagram above shows
this?

(c)     A sample of air in a balloon is cooled.

Complete the sentences below using words from the box.
You may use each word more than once.
 
   increases                 decreases                  stay the same

When the air is cooled, the volume of the air ...........................................

and the mass of the air ............................................. . When the
air is cooled, the density of the air ............................................. .

(d)     In 1902, the scientist Carl von Linde cooled air to produce liquid oxygen.
 The table below shows the melting points and boiling points of four substances
that are found in air.
 
substance melting point (°C) boiling point (°C)

argon –189 –186

oxygen –218 –183

nitrogen –210 –196

water 0 100

Before Linde, scientists tried to produce liquid air by cooling it to –190°C.

Give a reason why liquid air was not produced.

Boiling water.
Boiling water is often explained by explaining how the water particles absorb energy from
the thermal store and begin to increase their kinetic store. As they move faster, they
escape into the atmosphere. This is not completely true. To escape into the gas phase the
water needs to overcome the air pressure pushing down on the surface of the water. If we
increase the air pressure the boiling point increases. If we reduce the air pressure the
boiling point drops. If you remove all the air the water will spontaneously boil at room
temperature!
64. Water boils at sea level at 100oC but on the base camp of Mt Everest it is only 82 oC
a) Explain why the water boils at such a lower temperature
b) Calculate the percentage decrease in boiling point
65. During take off and landing on a plane peoples ears pop. Use air pressure to explain why
this occurs
66. Identify if these are true or false
a) The atmosphere is mainly oxygen
b) The atmosphere is denser at the bottom
c) Gravity holds the atmosphere on the Earth
d) Water can boil at room temperature
e) High altitude is hotter than low altitude
64. What term is given to random motion of particles because of collisions with other
particles?
65. What is the equation linking force, pressure and area?
66. What word means the mass of dissolved substance per unit volume?
67. What word means to push into a smaller volume (e.g a gas)?
68. What is the unit for pressure?
69. What word refers to rising hot air or liquids?
70. A pen cap floats in a plastic lemonade bottle three-quarters full of water.
If you squeeze the bottle the pen cap sinks to the bottom.
If you then let go of the bottle, the pen cap floats to the surface.
(a) When the bottle is squeezed what, if anything, happens to:
I. the distance between the air molecules inside the
bottle?
II. the distance between the water molecules inside the
bottle?
III. the pressure of the air trapped inside the pen cap?
IV. the volume of the air trapped inside the pen cap?

(b)     Explain why the pen cap sinks when you squeeze the
bottle.
71. Karen wants to pump up her car tyre. Her pump has a piston with an area of 7 cm 2. Karen
pushes the handle down with a force of 175 N.

(a) What pressure does she exert on the air in

the pump?

(b) The air pressure in the tyre is 27 N/cm2.

What pressure would be needed in the pump in
order to pump more air into the tyre?

(c) Another of Karen’s car tyres exerts a

pressure of 30 N/cm2 on the road. The area of
the tyre in contact with the road is 95 cm2
What is the force exerted by the tyre on the
road?

72. Diagram A represents a gas in a container. The gas can be compressed by moving the
piston to the right.
a) (i) How can you tell that
the substance in the
container is a gas?

(ii) How can you tell from the

diagram that the gas is pure?

(b) The piston is moved to the

right as shown in diagram B. How can you tell, from
diagram B, that the pressure of the gas has increased?

(c) Diagram C shows what happened to the molecules

after the gas was
compressed more.     

(i)  How can you tell that a chemical reaction happened

when the gas was compressed?

(ii)  The mass of the gas in both diagrams B and C was

0.3 g.

Why did the mass of the gas not change when it was
compressed?

(iii)     Complete the table below with the correct chemical formula of each
substance. Use the key to help you.
  

(iv)    What is the name of the substance represented by the symbol ?

73. Sue pumps up a bicycle tyre. As she does so, she notices that the pump becomes hot.

(a) Where, and how, was the energy stored before it was transferred in pumping up
the tyre?

(b)  Explain how the gas molecules inside the tyre exert pressure on the walls of
the tyre.

(c) The air going into the tyre was warmed up by the pumping. What effect will
this have on the motion of gas molecules in the air in the tyre?

(d)  When the air in the tyre becomes hotter, the pressure rises. Give one reason, in
terms of the motion of gas molecules in air, why the pressure rises.

(e) The pressure in the tyre increases as Sue forces more air into the tyre. Explain why a
larger number of gas molecules increases the pressure in the tyre.

74. Some students fill an empty plastic

bottle with water.
The weight of the water in the
bottle is 24 N and the cross-sectional
area of the bottom of the bottle is
0.008 m2.

(a) Calculate the pressure of the water

on the bottom of the bottle and give
the unit.

(b) The students made four holes in the

bottle along a vertical line.
They put the bottle in a sink. They used
water from a tap to keep the bottle
filled to the top.

The students measured and recorded

the vertical heights of the holes above
the sink.
They also measured the horizontal distances the water landed away from the bottle.
A pair of measurements for one of the holes is shown in the diagram.

The complete data from the experiment is shown in the table.

 
Vertical Horizontal
Hole height distance
in cm in cm
 J 24 15

K 18 20

L 12 30

M 6 40

 (i) Which hole is shown in the diagram?

(ii) On the diagram, draw the path of the water coming out of hole M.

Use the information in the table to help you.

(c) Suggest one problem that might arise from trying to collect data from a fifth hole
with a vertical height of 1 cm above the sink.

75. The diagram below shows an empty cargo ship. It is not moving.

(a) The water exerts a force on

the ship. In which direction does
this force act?

(b) The diagram below shows

the same cargo ship. This time it
has a full load of cargo.

(i) How does the force exerted

by the water on the ship change
as the ship is loaded?

(ii) Why has the force exerted

by the water changed?

Incorrect/poor statement Correct statement

Liquids and gases can be

 compressed

When you compress a gas, the

particles get smaller

Diffusion is the random

movement of particles

The particles in a liquid are

further apart than in a solid

When solids are heated, the

particles start to vibrate

When ice melts, the particles in

the liquid can vibrate freely

Gas pressure is caused by the

particles moving around

When water freezes, the

particles stop moving