Classification of Matter– Interactive Notes

volume, mass, temperature, length boiling point / freezing point.

1. There are physical properties that can be measured. They are:

2. There are physical properties that can be observed.

texture, relative density, magnetism, solubility, the ability to conduct or insulate energy, physical state. (words in red are properties that never change)

They are:

Classification of Matter– Interactive Notes• Make a flow chart to organize these two types of physical

properties. • Use 2 colors to help you organize your facts, use 2 more colors to

show which properties can be changed and which are constant. Physical Properties

Measurable Observable

VolumeMassTemperatureLengthBoiling PointFreezing Point

TexturePhysical stateRelative densityMagnetismSolubilityConductivity of energy

Metacognition1. Explain how you would set up an experiment to test for electrical conductivity. To set up this

experiment, you would have to have a circuit including a battery, bulb and wires. You would have to put different items in the circuit to see if the bulb remains lit. If the bulb remains lit, the item is a conductor. If it doesn’t light, the item is an insulator.

2. Explain why electrical cords are wrapped in plastic or rubber. Inside the electrical cord is a copper wire which is a great conductor of electricity. Since the electricity would kill us or conduct into other objects it touches, we wrap it in rubber or plastic to protect ourselves. The rubber is an insulator and electricity cannot pass through it.

3. If you wanted to take a pan of brownies out of the oven and you didn’t have oven mitts, why would a towel be just as useful? The towel is made of fabric or cloth. These items are insulators of thermal energy so it would protect our hands from the heat of the pan.

4. Explain why volume (size) isn’t the best way to decide whether or not something will float or sink. Just because something is big, doesn’t mean it will sink. Large, hollow items will float. The part that matters most is the amount of matter in the volume that you’re given. Density is mass and volume together. If the mass is more than the volume, the object will sink.

5. Look at the chart below. Which container is the best insulator of thermal energy? Explain how you know.

The container that is the best insulator is the one that will keep the water hottest the longest. Insulators stop energy from moving either in or out. Container 2 is the best insulator at 86* Celsius .