Grade 7 Science

Cluster 2: Particle Theory of Matter

1. What is matter? Matter is any material that occupies space and has mass. Matter
includes all solids, liquids and gases. These forms of matter have different characteristics.
2. What are properties? The characteristics that are used to describe matter
are called properties. Every material has its own set of properties. For
example, water is a clear, colorless, odorless liquid. Under normal
conditions, water freezes at 0 C and boils at 100 C.
Several other materials share some of waters properties. A liquid could be
clear, colorless and odorless and look exactly like water, but it might freeze
or boil at different temperatures than water and may have other properties
that are different. It could even be poisonous. No other
material has exactly the same properties as water.

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3. What are elements? Elements are substances that cannot be separated into simpler
substances. Each element has its own properties. There are 115 known elements.
Examples of elements are hydrogen, oxygen, helium, carbon, iron, gold, mercury,
aluminum, and chlorine.
4. What are compounds? A compound is a substance formed when two or more
elements are chemically joined. Water, salt and sugar are examples of compounds. Water,
for example is a compound of hydrogen and oxygen. When the elements are joined, they
lose their individual properties and have different properties from the elements they are
composed of.
5. What is a mixture? When two or more substances are physically combined, but not
chemically combined, a mixture is formed. Some materials cannot be described by a
single set of properties. A multi-colored rock, for example, could be composed of
different materials. Each of these materials would have its own set of
properties. A mixture contains more than one kind of matter combined in such a way that
each keeps its own properties.
Mixtures that are made up of parts that keep their own properties, even if these properties
are not visible to the unaided eye are said to be heterogeneous. Examples would include a
chocolate chip cookie, oil and vinegar, pizza, or a piece of quartz containing a vein of
gold.
The above examples would also be examples of mechanical
mixtures. A mechanical mixture is a substance made of more than
one kind of material, in which the different materials can
easily be identified. Another example would be soda water, where
the bubbles can easily be identified as different from the water.
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Grade 7 Science
Cluster 2: Particle Theory of Matter
However, not all heterogeneous mixtures are mechanical
mixtures because the different substances in the mixture cannot
be easily identified. Milk, for example, looks the same
throughout the whole mixture. However, when you look at it
under a microscope, you can see that it also contains globs of fat.
Therefore it is a heterogeneous mixture, but not a mechanical
mixture.
Mixtures that have only one set of properties throughout the
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whole mixture are called homogeneous. In a homogeneous
mixture, any part of the mixture has the same properties as any other part of the mixture.
Examples would include salt water (a mixture of salt and water), rubbing alcohol (a
mixture of isopropyl alcohol and water) or cake batter (a mixture of flour, vegetable oil,
eggs, salt, etc.)
6. What is a solution? A solution is a homogeneous mixture of
two or more substances; the distinct properties of the different
substances that make up the solution are combined into one set of
properties.

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Solutions are all around us. Two thirds of the earth is covered
with a liquid solution the salty water of the oceans. Earth is
surrounded by a gas solution called air a homogeneous mixture
of oxygen, nitrogen and other gases. Sterling silver is a solid
solution of silver and copper.

7. What is a pure substance? A pure substance is a material that is

composed of only one type of particle. Examples of a pure substance
include gold, oxygen and water.
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All materials

Heterogeneous materials
(may also be considered
mechanical mixtures if the
different materials can easily
be identified)

Homogeneous materials

Homogeneous Mixtures
(may also be a solution if
there is a solute and a
solvent present)
Student Notes
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Pure Substances

Grade 7 Science
Cluster 2: Particle Theory of Matter

8. What is a theory? A scientific theory helps to explain an observation. When this

explanation has been repeatedly tested and shown to be consistent it is generally accepted
by scientists.

9. What is the particle theory of matter? The theory that scientists use to
explain the properties of various mixtures and substances is called the
particle theory of matter. Two important points of this theory state that:
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All matter is made up of extremely small particles.

Each pure substance has its own kind of particle, different from the particles of
other pure substances.

10. What are solutes and solvents? If drink powder is added to a jug of water and then
stirred, it will eventually dissolve. A solute is a substance that can be dissolved in a
solvent. The drink powder would be the solute. The water would be the solvent. A solvent
is any substance into which a solute may be dissolved.

11. What is dissolving? Dissolving is mixing a solute completely with

a solvent to form a solution. When this happens, the distinct properties
of each of the materials combine into one set of properties.
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12. Why do some materials not dissolve? Sugar dissolves in water so we say it is
soluble in water. The pulp in orange juice or the fat particles in milk do not dissolve, so
we say they are insoluble. Simply mixing materials together does not always result in a
solution.

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For the particles of milk fat to dissolve, they would have to be more
attracted to the water particles than to the other particles of milk fat,
but they are not. That is why particles of milk fat stay together and
form insoluble globules. No matter how much you stirred the milk,
the milk fat would never dissolve.

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Grade 7 Science
Cluster 2: Particle Theory of Matter
13. What are saturated solutions? There is a limit to just how concentrated most
solutions can become. When you prepare a solution, you reach this limit when no amount
of stirring can make more solute dissolve in the solvent. At this point, the solution is said
to be saturated. A saturated solution is one in which no more solute will dissolve at a
specific temperature. An unsaturated solution is one in which more of the solute could
dissolve at the same temperature. The limit to how concentrated a solution can become is
called solubility.
14. What does dilute mean? Dilute means to weaken the strength of a solution by
increasing the amount of the solvent. If you mixed drinking crystals into a jar of water
but found that the solution was too sweet, you could dilute the solution by adding more
water.

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15. What factors affect the rate that a solute dissolves in a

solvent? Different factors affect the rate at which a solute will
dissolve in a solvent. Solutes will dissolve quicker in a solvent that
is hotter. If the solvent is agitated, or stirred, the solute will
dissolve quicker. When the solute is broken up into smaller pieces,
it will dissolve quicker because there is more surface area
exposed to the solvent.

16. What is temperature? Temperature is a relative measure of how hot or cold

something is, measured on a scale.
17. Can other forms of energy be transformed into heat energy? Different forms of
energy can be transformed into heat energy. Mechanical energy is the energy in a moving
object or in moving parts of an object. As things move they give off
heat. Chemical energy is a type of potential energy that is stored in
chemicals and released when the chemicals react. Fuels contain
chemical energy that gives off heat when burned.
Electricity can also be transformed into heat energy. If a stove, toaster,
or heater is plugged in or turned on it can give off heat.
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18. What is a thermometer? A thermometer is a device used to measure

temperature. Thermometers have scales. The scales mark degrees
as the unit of temperature. The two most common scales used to
measure temperature are the Fahrenheit scale and the Celsius scale. The
Fahrenheit scale is named after Daniel Fahrenheit who created it in
1724. On his scale, water freezes at 32 and boils at 212. The Celsius
scale was named in honor of Anders Celsius. On his scale, water freezes
at 0 and boils at 100.
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Student Notes
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Grade 7 Science
Cluster 2: Particle Theory of Matter

19. Do all substances freeze and boil at the same temperature? Different
pure substances have different temperatures at which they freeze or melt and
at which they boil. Ice melts at 0C. To melt tungsten, which is the material
used in the filament of a light bulb, would require a temperature of 3422C.
Antifreeze has a lower freezing temperature than water. That is why it is
used instead of water in vehicles in very cold temperatures. Thermometers
that measure very cold temperatures use a liquid rather than water.

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20. What are the three states of matter? On the earth,

materials may exist as solids, liquids or gases. Solids are
materials that have a definite size and shape. Liquids have a
definite size or volume, but no fixed shape. They take the
shape of their container. Gases have no definite shape or size.
They expand to fill all parts of their container and can easily be
compressed into a smaller space.

21. What happens to materials when they are heated or cooled? As materials warm up,
the particle theory of matter says that their particles move faster and
spread apart. Therefore substances should expand or get bigger when
heated and contract or get smaller when cooled. If a solid is heated
enough it will change from a solid to a liquid through the process of
melting. As a liquid its particles are moving faster and they are spread
farther apart. If it is heated even more, it will change to a gas through
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the process of evaporation. As a gas its particles will be moving even
faster and will be even farther apart than as a liquid. If a gas is cooled, it will change to a
liquid through the process of condensation. If it is cooled even more it will turn from a
liquid to a solid through the process of freezing.

22. Can thermal energy or heat be transferred from one object to another? If you hold
your hand near a light bulb or in front of a hot fire, you can feel the heat. The heat is
transferred to you. Energy can be transferred in three ways, by radiation, conduction and
convection.

23. What is radiation? Radiation is the transfer of energy in a special

form of wave that can travel through many materials or empty space.
Heat from the sun reaches us through radiation.
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Grade 7 Science
Cluster 2: Particle Theory of Matter

24. What is conduction? Thermal conduction is

the process of transferring thermal energy through
direct collisions between particles. This occurs in
solids where particles are close together. Most
metals are excellent heat conductors. If a
saucepan is put on the element of a stove, the heat
will be transferred by conduction to the bottom of
the pan but it will soon heat the entire pan.
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25. What are heat insulators? Some materials such as glass, wood,
rubber, plastic, and the inner layers of winter clothing do not
conduct heat well. These are called heat insulators. When
insulators are wrapped around an object they slow down the
transfer of thermal energy to or from the surroundings. The object
stays warm or cold longer.

26. What is convection? Convection is a method of transferring thermal

energy through the movement of fluids (liquids or gases). In a home for
example, a furnace heats air. The warmed air particles expand. Then the
less dense, warmer air rises because it is lighter. The rising air cools and
contracts. The cool, denser air sinks and moves back in to replace the
rising warm air. The air continues to move in this cycle.
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