Students decide if each of three sentences about solids, liquids, and gases is true or false and then give a reason for their answer.
Curriculum Links:
Science capabilities
The capabilities focus is brought about by the conversations you have and the questions you ask.
Capability: Use evidence
This resource provides opportunities to discuss using their developing science understandings and text information to make inferences about the states of matter.
False
Some solids are so soft you can break off a piece with your fingernail, e.g., wax, biscuit. Some don't break when you hit them with a hammer, e.g., steel, diamond.
easy
easy
b)
i)
ii)
True
Gases don't have a shape of their own. They fill the space they occupy, e.g., a room, balloon, bottle.
moderate
moderate
c)
i)
ii)
False
The solid wax contains the same number of particles as the melted wax (but the particles are closer together).
very difficult
very difficult
Next steps:
Extension:
The mercury in a thermometer moves up the tube when it is heated. This is because the mercury particles are expanding.
i) True / False (Circle one)
ii) Give reason(s) for your answer:
Answer:
i) False
ii) The particles do not expand, they move faster and further apart so that the liquid as a whole expands.
