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States of Matter and Properties

Sep 2, 2025

Overview

This lecture covers physical properties and changes of matter, focusing on the three main states—solid, liquid, and gas—and how temperature and pressure affect them.

States of Matter

  • Matter exists as solids, liquids, or gases, called phases or states of matter.
  • Solids have definite shape and definite volume, are incompressible, and their particles vibrate in fixed positions.
  • Liquids have indefinite shape, definite volume, are incompressible, and their particles move freely but remain close together.
  • Gases have indefinite shape and volume, are compressible, and their particles are far apart and move rapidly.

Physical Properties of Matter

  • Mass is the amount of matter in an object, measured in grams (g) or kilograms (kg).
  • Volume is the space an object occupies, measured in liters (L) or milliliters (mL).
  • Density is mass divided by volume (Density = mass/volume).

Changes in States of Matter

  • Heating a solid increases particle vibration until melting point; at 0°C for ice, solid turns to liquid.
  • Boiling point is the temperature (100°C for water) where liquid turns into gas throughout the entire liquid.
  • Compressing a gas or lowering temperature can change a gas to a liquid.

Phase Changes

  • Melting: Solid to liquid due to heat absorption (e.g., ice melting).
  • Freezing: Liquid to solid when heat is lost (e.g., water freezing).
  • Condensation: Gas to liquid as energy is lost (e.g., water vapor on glass).
  • Evaporation: Liquid to gas below boiling point, usually at surface (e.g., pond water evaporating).
  • Sublimation: Solid directly to gas, skipping liquid (e.g., dry ice).
  • Deposition: Gas directly to solid, skipping liquid (e.g., frost forming).

Practice Questions (with Answers)

  • Solid to gas directly: Sublimation.
  • State with definite volume but not shape: Liquid.
  • Solid characteristic NOT true: Ability to flow.
  • Liquid to gas temperature: Boiling point.

Key Terms & Definitions

  • Matter — Anything with mass and volume.
  • Mass — Amount of matter in an object.
  • Volume — Space occupied by an object.
  • Density — Ratio of mass to volume (D = m/v).
  • Incompressible — Cannot be compressed into a smaller volume.
  • Boiling Point — Temperature at which liquid becomes gas.
  • Melting Point — Temperature at which solid becomes liquid.

Action Items / Next Steps

  • Review definitions and phase changes for exam preparation.
  • Practice classifying examples of phase changes.
  • Be familiar with calculating density and identifying states of matter.