{"id":1256,"date":"2019-02-10T14:51:45","date_gmt":"2019-02-10T06:51:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thepiquelab.com\/blog\/?p=1256"},"modified":"2024-04-18T13:58:35","modified_gmt":"2024-04-18T05:58:35","slug":"a-beginners-guide-to-properties-of-matter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thepiquelab.com\/blog\/a-beginners-guide-to-properties-of-matter\/","title":{"rendered":"A Beginner’s Guide To Properties Of Matter"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Matter<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0is a topic that students learn either in P3 or P4. Students are required to know and are often tested on the properties of matter in examinations.<\/p>\n

\n

Read Also<\/h2>\n
    \n
  1. Mass & Energy: How These Two Concepts Work Together<\/a><\/li>\n
  2. Plasticine & Its Properties \u2013 How They Can Be Tested<\/a><\/li>\n
  3. A Beginner\u2019s Guide To Tackling Heat Energy Open-ended Questions<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/blockquote>\n

    A common question that students tend to ask when they are first exposed to this topic is:<\/p>\n

    \u201cWhat is matter?\u201d<\/strong><\/h3>\n

    \u201cMatter is anything that has mass and occupies space.\u201d<\/h4>\n

    Based on this definition, there are 2 important properties that have to be fulfilled in order to be classified as matter:<\/p>\n

      \n
    1. Has mass<\/li>\n
    2. Occupies space<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      What Does It Mean To Have Mass?<\/strong><\/p>\n

        \n
      1. Does it give a reading when you place it on a weighing scale?<\/li>\n
      2. Does it feel heavier if you carry more of it?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        What Does It Mean To Occupy Space?<\/strong><\/p>\n

          \n
        1. Does it have to be removed in order for another object to take its place?<\/li>\n
        2. Does it take up space when placed in a container or location?<\/li>\n
        3. If the answers to the above questions are \u201cyes\u201d, the object is classified as matter. However, if the answers to the questions are \u201cno\u201d, the object is classified to be a non-matter.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

          With this understanding, we will now focus on the property \u201cMatter occupies space<\/strong>\u201d in this post.<\/p>\n

          All matter occupies space but how do we know how much space different matter occupy?<\/p>\n

          We measure its volume<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

          \u201cVolume is the amount of space that a body or object occupies.\u201d<\/strong><\/h3>\n

          The volume of regular objects, such as a cube, can be calculated by multiplying its length, breadth and height.<\/p>\n

          For irregular objects, such as a stone, we measure its volume using water and a measuring cylinder\/beaker.<\/p>\n

           <\/p>\n

          Let’s Take A Look At This Question<\/h2>\n

          \"2015<\/p>\n

          Source: Red Swastika School \u2013 2015 P6 Preliminary Science Examination Paper [Q17]<\/em><\/p>\n

           <\/p>\n

          To measure the volume of an irregular object<\/strong>, like this metal stick, we use a beaker of water.<\/p>\n

          When the metal stick is placed into the beaker of water with a volume of 800 cm3<\/sup>, the new volume of water becomes 1000 cm3<\/sup>.In the question, a 2 kg metal stick has been placed into a beaker filled with 800 cm3\u00a0<\/sup>of water.<\/p>\n

          The purpose of this is to test if students are able to find out the volume of the object<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

          On seeing this, students will quickly conclude by taking the (new volume of the water + metal stick) \u2013 (old volume of water) i.e. 1000-800 = 200. They will choose option (1) as the answer, thinking that the volume of the metal stick is 200 cm3<\/sup>.<\/p>\n

          Unfortunately, examination questions are no longer as straightforward but tricky!<\/p>\n

          Students do not realise that the volume of the metal stick is not equal to 200 cm3 <\/sup>as the stick is not fully submerged in water. There is a small part that is above the surface of the water as shown in the picture below.<\/p>\n

          \"A<\/p>\n

          In order to measure the full volume of an object, the object needs to be fully submerged in water. As such, the 200 cm3 <\/sup>calculated earlier would only be the part where the object is submerged in water, excluding the part that is circled in the picture shown above.<\/p>\n

          Hence, the volume of the whole metal stick would have to be (200cm3<\/sup>\u00a0 + the volume of the part circled). The option that is definitely true would therefore be:<\/p>\n

          (3) The volume of the metal stick is more than 200 cm3<\/sup>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

           <\/p>\n

          In Conclusion<\/h2>\n

          I hope this article has helped you gain a better understanding of this property of matter, “Matter occupies space”.<\/p>\n

          These days, examination questions are no longer that straight forward, so your child needs to be extra careful when analysing these questions.<\/p>\n

          If you enjoyed this article, please feel free to share it with your friends! \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n

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          If you like our methodology, please click here<\/strong><\/a> to explore our Matter Techniques\u2122 Masterclass <\/strong>for P5 & P6 students.<\/p>\n

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