Lesson 3.2 - Properties of Matter

You classify people around you in a variety of ways. You might classify someone as pretty or handsome, another might be intelligent or wise. You also classify chemicals in a variety of ways. You might classify gold as pretty or vinegar as sour tasting. Scientists classify matter according to physical and chemical properties. Read page 12 in your textbook. Then answer the following questions.

Question 1. Using the glossary in the textbook, give the definition of physical property.

Question 2. Using the glossary in the textbook, give the definition of chemical property.


Then, return here to continue this lesson.


Modern materials are made to take advantage of certain chemical and physical properties. Insulating materials are made to reduce our heating and cooling costs. Semi-conducting materials are used to produce the computer that you are using right now. You can learn more about the properties of modern materials if you do the "Internet Connect" activity at the bottom of page 12 in your textbook.

Investigation 1B - Classifying Matter

This investigation is designed to classify some common materials you would find around your home. The properties that you are going to test and observe are magnetic character, lustre and colour.

You will use a magnet to test the magnetic properties (a simple fridge magnet will work if you don't have a magnet).

Lustre means how something appears when a light is reflected from the surface (you will just use the terms shiny or dull to describe the lustre).

Problem: How can materials be classified according to their physical properties?

Procedure: Use a magnet to test the magnetic properties of each of the materials. Observe the lustre and colour of each of the materials.

Apparatus: magnet

Materials:

coins from penny up to a toonie

pencil

CD case

plastic water or pop bottle

shoe

Procedure:
  1. Test each material by touching it with a magnet. If the material is magnetic you will notice an attraction between the material and the magnet. Record your observations in the table.
  2. Look at each material and record its lustre.
  3. Look at each material and record its colour.

Observations: Record your observations in the following table.

Material

Magnetic (Yes or No)

Lustre (Shiny or Dull)

Colour

penny

_____________

_____________

_____________

nickel

_____________

_____________

_____________

dime

_____________

_____________

_____________

quarter

_____________

_____________

_____________

loonie

_____________

_____________

_____________

toonie

_____________

_____________

_____________

pencil

_____________

_____________

_____________

CD case

_____________

_____________

_____________

plastic water or pop bottle

_____________

_____________

_____________

shoe

_____________

_____________

_____________

Evaluation:

  1. Classify the materials in at least three ways based on your observations.

  2. How could you improve the classification system in this investigation?

Then, return here to continue this lesson.


Did you notice anything unusual about the toonie when you tested it for magnetism? If you didn't try testing it again and see if the brown centre is magnetic. What do you think the centre of the toonie is made from? What other coin is likely made from the same material? What metal do you think the loonie is made from? It is the same colour as the penny yet is magnetic while the penny is not.

There are only a few metals that exhibit strong magnetic properties. They are iron, nickel, and cobalt. Copper is a brown metal that is not magnetic. Did you guess that the penny and the centre of the toonie are likely made from copper? The toonie has the following composition: Rim - 99% nickel; core - 92% copper, 6% aluminum, 2% nickel. The loonie cannot be made from just copper because it is magnetic. What would you guess the loonie is made from? 


Go to the next page to learn about properties of matter ......











Answers to Questions:

Question 1. Using the glossary in the textbook, give the definition of physical property.

Physical property is a characteristic of matter that can change without a new substance being formed. For example the chemical water can change state from a liquid to a solid but it is still water. So the state of matter is a physical property.

Question 2. Using the glossary in the textbook, give the definition of chemical property

Chemical property is a characteristic of matter that describes how the matter will react with other substances. For example gasoline is a substance that reacts readily with oxygen.


Click to return to where you left off in this lesson.












Answers to to Investigation 1B - Classifying Matter:

Material

Magnetic (Yes or No)

Lustre (Shiny or Dull)

Colour

penny

NO

Dull

Brown

nickel

YES

Shiny

Silver

dime

YES

Shiny

Silver

quarter

YES

Shiny

Silver

loonie

YES

Shiny

Brown

toonie

YES

Shiny

Silver/Brown

pencil

NO

Dull

Varies

CD case

NO

Shiny

Clear

plastic water or pop bottle

NO

Shiny

Clear

shoe

NO

Dull

Varies

Evaluation:

  1. Classify the materials in at least three ways based on your observations.

    There are a number of ways to classify the materials. You could classify them as magnetic/nonmagnetic; shiny/dull; or by colours. Another possibility is metals/nonmetals; you may have come up with other classifications.

  2. How could you improve the classification system in this investigation?

    You could improve the classification system by testing more things. For example you could test the hardness of the substances by seeing if you can scratch them with a file. You could test the texture by feeling the material with your fingers. If you had a conductivity tester you could test the conductivity as the investigation on page 14 indicates.


Click to return to where you left off in this lesson.