Chapter 1
MATTER IN OUR SURROUNDINGS
Mattter
• Anything that occupies space and has mass is called matter.
• It exists in the form of five basic elements, the Panch tatva - air, earth, fire , sky
and water.
• For example: Chair, bed, river, mountain, dog, tree, building, etc.
Characteristics of matter:
• Matter is made up of small particles called atoms.
• These particles are too small to be observed with naked eye.
• These particles are constantly moving constantly.
• These particles have spaces between them.
• Particles of matter attract each other because of the force of attraction.
Properties of Matter
Property Solid Liquid Gas
No fixed shape but has Neither definite shape
Shape and volume Fixed shape and volume
fixed volume nor volume
Energy Lowest Medium Highest
Compressibility Incompressible Almost Compressible Easily compressible
Arrangement of Regular and closely Random and little Random and more
molecules arranged sparsely arranged sparsely arranged
Flows from higher to
Fluidity Cannot flow Flows in all directions
lower level
Depends on Free, constant and
Movement Negligible
interparticle attraction random
Interparticle space Very less More Large
Interparticle attraction Maximum Medium Minimum
Density Maximum Medium Minimum
It depends on
Rate of diffusion Negligible Maximum
interparticle attraction.
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Atomic view of the three states of matter
Diffusion
Particles of matter intermix on their own with each other. They do so by getting
into the spaces between the particles. This intermixing of particles of two different
types of matter on their own is called diffusion.
The rate of diffusion increases with increase in the temperature, due to increase in kinetic
energy of the particles.
Mixing of two gases:
• Fragrance of an incense stick (agarbatti) lightened in one corner of a room, spreads
in the whole room quickly.
• The particles of gases (or vapours) produced by burning the incense stick move
rapidly in all directions and mix with the moving particles of air in the room
• This also shows that the partices of matter are constantly moving.
Brownian motion of particles (By Robert Brown):
• The random or zig-zag movement of microscopic particles in a fluid, as a result of
continuous bombardment from molecules of the surrounding medium, is known as
Brownian motion.
• For example, dust moves randomly because the random moving particles of air
collide with dust particles.
Change of State of Matter:
Physical states of matter can be interconverted into each other by following two
ways:
1. By changing the temperature
2. By changing the pressure
1. Effect of Change of Temperature: Solid
to liquid:
• On increasing the temperature of solids, the kinetic energy of the particles
increases which overcomes the forces of attraction between the particles thereby
solid gets converted to a liquid.
• Melting: Change of solid state of a substance into liquid is called melting.
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• Melting point: The temperature at which a solid melts to become a liquid at the
atmospheric pressure is called its melting point.
• Melting point of ice is 0oc.
(a) Liquid to gas:
• On heating a liquid like water, the kinetic energy of its particles increases as high
as in a gas, thus causing the liquid to change to a gas.
• Boiling: The change of a liquid substance into gas on heating is called boiling.
• Boiling point: The temperature at which a liquid boils and changes rapidly into a
gas at the atmospheric pressure is called its boiling point.
• Boiling point if water is 100oC.
(b) Gas to liquid:
• On cooling a gas like steam (or water vapour), the kinetic energy of its particles is
lowered down, causing them to move slowly and bringing them closer, forming a
liquid.
• Condensation: The process, in which a gas, on cooling, turns into a liquid at a
specific temperature is called condensation or liquefaction.
(c) Liquid to solid:
• When a liquid is cooled down by lowering its temperature, its particles lose the
kinetic energy and come to a stationary position, causing the liquid to turn to soilid.
• Freezing: The change of a liquid substance into soilid by lowering its temperature
is called freezing.
• Freezing point: The temperature at which the state of a substance changes from
a liquid to a solid is called the freezing point of that substance.
Fusion:The process of melting, that is, change of solid state into liquid state is
also known as fusion.
Latent heat: The heat energy that is required to change the state of a substance
without causing any ruse in the temperature of the substance is called latent heat.
Since, the heat energy is hidden in the the matter, it is called latent heat.
• Latent heat of fusion: The heat energy required to convert 1 kilogram of a solid
into liquid at atmospheric pressure, at its melting point, is known as the latent heat
of fusion
• Latent heat of vaporisation: The heat energy required to convert 1 kilogram of
liquid into gas, at atmospheric pressure, at its boiling point, is known as the latent
heat of vaporisation
Note: Water vapour at 373 K or 100 degree Celciushave more energy than water
at the same temperature because
particles in steam have absorbed extra energy in the form of latent heat of
vaporisation.
Sublimation: The change of state of a substance directly from a solid to gas or
gas to solid, without changing into the liquid state, is called sublimation.
2. Effect of change of pressure
• Gas to liquid: Gases can be liquefied by applying pressure and reducing the
temperature. When a high pressure is applied to a gas, it gets compressed and if
the temperature is lowered, the gas is liquefied.
• Solid CO2 gets converted directly to gaseous state on decrease of pressure to 1
atmosphere without coming into liquid state. This is the reason that solid carbon
dioxide is also known as dry ice.
Evaporation:
The process of conversion of a substance from the liquid state to the gaseous state
at any temperature below its boiling point is called evaporation or vaporisation.
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Factors affecting the rate of evaporation:
• Surface area: The rate of evaporation increases on increasing the surface area of
the liquid.
• Temperature: The rate of evaporation increases with an increase in temperature.
• Humidity: Decrease in the humidity increases the rate of evaporation.
• Wind speed: An increase in the wind speed increases the rate of evaporation.
Evaporation causes cooling:
During the process of evaporation, the particles of liquid absorb energy or latent
heat of vaporisation from the surrounding to get converted to gaseous state. This
absorption of energy from the surroundings make the surroundings cold.
For example: The perspiration or sweating in our body keep the body
temperature constant by taking away the extra heat from body as the latent heat
of vaporisation
Flowchart for inter-conversion of the three states of matter
Temperature: Common and SI units
• Common unit: Degree Celsius (oC)
• SI unit: Kelvin (K)
• Relation between common unit and SI unit of temperature: 0 oC = 273K
