Physics Kenya
Particulate Nature of Matter
Particulate Nature of Matter
Particulate Nature of Matter
Experiments to show that matter is made up of tiny particles (e.g. cutting papers into small pieces), dilution experiments
Brownian motion
States of matter
State of matter is defined in terms of the phase transitions which indicate the change in structure and properties. Solids, liquids and gases all are made up of microscopic particles. The behavior of all these particles also varies in three phases.
Matter is anything that has mass and occupies space. In other words, matter is anything that has weight and volume. For example, stone is considered a matter because it has mass and it occupies space. Therefore, everything we see around us is considered a matter.
Three States of Matter
There are three states of matter, namely:
- Solid state
- Liquid state
- Gaseous state
Solid state is the state of matter, which include materials in which the inter-molecular force between molecules are greatest and distance between molecules is small. Solids have definite shape and volume. Particles in solid are closely packed together. Examples of solids are wood, iron, glass, rubber, concrete etc.
Liquid state includes substances in which the inter-molecular forces are low compared to solid state, there is greater distance between one molecule and another. Solid shave no defined shape or volume but they take the shape and of the container or vessel. Examples of liquid substances are water, honey, spirit, kerosene, and petroleum.
Gaseous state is the state of matter in which there is no intermolecular forces between molecules hence molecules are free to move from one place to another. Gases have no defined shape or volume but they fill the whole container in which they are kept. Particles in gases are most free compared to solids and liquids. Examples of gases are hydrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide gas.
| Solid state | Liquid state | Gaseous state. |
| It concerns with solid matter | It concerns with liquids/ fluids matter | It concerns with gases |
| Have high intermolecular | Low intermolecular force | No intermolecular force |
| No distance between molecules | There is little distance between molecules | Molecules are far from each other |
| Good examples are iron materials, woods etc. | Good examples are water, soda, kerosene and petrol | Good examples are oxygen and hydrogen |
Diffusion (Graham's law not required)
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