GENERAL CHEMISTRY 1

LESSON 1: Matter and Its Properties

What is Matter?

Matter is any substance that has mass and takes up space by having volume.

Matter is described as something that has mass and occupies space. All physical structures are made up of matter, and
the state or process of matter is an easily observed property of matter. Strong, liquid, and gas are the three basic states
of matter.

Matter can be classified into different categories based on the physical properties exhibited by them and the states in
which they exist; these are called states of matter.

Everything that exists is made up of matter. Atoms and substances are made up of minuscule pieces of matter. The
atoms that make up the objects we see and touch every day are made up of matter. All that has mass and occupies
space has volume is known as matter. The amount of matter in an object is measured by its mass.

SOLID DEFINITION

 In solids, particles are tightly or closely packed.

 The gaps between the particles are tiny and hence it is tough to compress them.
 Solid has a fixed shape and volume.
 Due to its rigid nature, particles in solid can only vibrate about their mean position and cannot move.
 Force of attraction between particles is adamant.
 The rate of diffusion in solids is very low.
 An example of solids: solid ice, sugar, rock, wood, etc.
LIQUID DEFINITION

 In a liquid state of matter, particles are less tightly packed as compared to solids.
 Liquids take the shape of the container in which they are kept.
 Liquids are difficult to compress as particles have less space between them to move.
 Liquids have fixed volume but no fixed shape.
 The rate of diffusion in liquids is higher than that of solids.
 Force of attraction between the particles is weaker than solids.
 Example of a liquid state of matter: water, milk, blood, coffee, etc.

GAS DEFINITION

 In gases, particles are far apart from each other.

 Force of attraction between the particles is negligible, and they can move freely.
 Gases have neither a fixed volume nor a fixed shape.
 The gaseous state has the highest compressibility as compared to solids and liquids.
 The rate is diffusion is higher than solids and liquids.
 The kinetic energy of particles is higher than in solids and liquids.
 An example of gases: air, helium, nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide, etc.

PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF MATTER

 Matter is made up of tiny particles called atoms and can be represented or explained as something that takes up
space. It must display both the mass and volume properties.
 Properties are the characteristics that enable us to differentiate one material from another. A physical property
is an attribute of matter that is independent of its chemical composition. 
 Density, color, hardness, melting and boiling points, and electrical conductivity are all examples of physical
properties. 
 Any characteristic that can be measured, such as an object’s density, color, mass, volume, length, malleability,
melting point, hardness, odor, temperature, and more, are considered properties of matter.
INTENSIVE AND EXTENSIVE PROPERTIES OF MATTER

Both the physical and chemical properties of matter are either extensive or intensive. Extensive properties including
mass and volume are proportional to the amount of matter being weighed. Density and colour, for example, are not
affected by the amount of matter present.

1. Intensive properties of matter – An intensive property is a bulk property, which means it is a system’s local
physical property that is independent of the system’s size or volume of material. Intensive properties are those
that are independent of the amount of matter present. Pressure and temperature, for example, are intensive
properties.

2. Extensive property of matter – A property that is dependent on the amount of matter in a sample is known as
an extensive property. Extensive properties include mass and volume. The scale of the system or the volume of
matter in it determines the extensive property of the system. Extensive properties are those in which the value
of a system’s property is equal to the sum of the values for the parts of the system.

CHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF MATTER

Chemical properties are characteristics that can only be measured or observed as matter transforms into a particular
type of matter. Reactivity, flammability, and the ability to rust are among them. The tendency of matter to react
chemically with other substances is known as reactivity. Flammability, toxicity, acidity, the reactivity of various types,
and heat of combustion are examples of chemical properties.

 Reactivity – The tendency of matter to combine chemically with other substances is known as reactivity. Certain
materials are highly reactive, whereas others are extremely inactive. Potassium, for example, is extremely
reactive, even in the presence of water. A pea-sized piece of potassium reacts explosively when combined with a
small volume of water.
 Flammability – The tendency of matter to burn is referred to as flammability. As matter burns, it reacts with
oxygen and transforms into various substances. A flammable matter is anything like wood.
 Toxicity – Toxicity refers to the extent to which a chemical element or a combination of chemicals may harm an
organism.
 Acidity – A substance’s ability to react with an acid is a chemical property. Some metals form compounds when
they react with different acids. Acids react with bases to create water, which neutralizes the acid.
Chemical properties are extremely helpful when it comes to distinguishing compounds. Chemical properties, on the
other hand, can only be detected when a material is in the process of being changed into another substance.

CLASSIFICATION OF MATTER

The matter has been characterised into five states by the researchers i.e., solid, liquid, gas, plasma and Bose-Einstein
Condensate. Amid these states, the most familiar states of matter that exist around us are solids, liquids and gases.

1. Solid State

When the particles are packed together firmly, they form solids. In solids, the particles only vibrate about their fixed
positions, since their kinetic energy is low and not sufficient to let them breakdown away from their common force of
the pull. Thus, solids have definite forms and volumes and are not compressible. That’s why they do not flow or diffuse.

Exceptions

 A rubber band can be strained under force, and it recovers to the same shape when the force is removed.
 If a similar rubber band is stretched maximum with excessive force, it breaks.
 The sponge is one more example of a solid, which has minuscule holes in which the air is confined.
 When it is squeezed with a hand, the air is ejected out, and it gets compressed.

2. Liquid State

In liquids, the kinetic energies of the atoms are more than in solids, and the atoms are not fixed to any positions. They
move about at will, arbitrarily, all through the liquid. Though, they do not have sufficient kinetic energy to break out of
the borderlines of the liquid form. That clarifies why liquids do not have fixed shapes and pour or diffuse at will, but they
do have fixed volumes.

Also, when equated to solids, there are more spaces amongst the atoms of liquids, but not sufficient to make liquids
compressible.

3. Gaseous State

In gases, the atoms are not crammed together at all, as their kinetic energies are high enough to let them break free
from any boundaries. They are unrestricted to move about in arbitrary motion. That is why gases have no fixed figure or
volume, and they flow and diffuse readily. They crash into each other, and off the walls of their container. That’s how a
gas applies pressure on its vessel. Also, as the spaces between the atoms are large, gases are exceedingly compressible.
4. Plasma State

The fourth state of matter is Plasma. Plasma is comparable to the gaseous state. The state involves super active and
super energized atoms in the form of ionized gases. Plasma is created by heating a gas until it loses all its electrons. It
exists in stars. The plasma is formed in the sun and stars because of the very high temperatures. The sun and stars
radiate because of the existence of plasma in them.

The fluorescent tube and neon sign bulbs contain plasma. The gas present inside these bulbs and tubes is an inert gas.
When electricity is passed through them, the gas gets ionized and charged. This charging up creates a glowing plasma,
having a particular colour depending on the nature of the gas.

Bose-Einstein Condensates

The model of BEC was thought of by the Indian physicist Satyendra Nath Bose in 1920 and was advanced by the theory
of BEC. Later Albert Einstein prophesied a new state of matter – the Bose-Einstein Condensate (BEC).

The BEC is created by freezing a gas of tremendously low density. Bose-Einstein condensate refers to the breakdown of
atoms into a single quantum state. It is found at low temperatures when particles are not incapable of moving.

CHANGE IN STATES OF MATTER

Water has the capability to exist in three states. In solid-state, it exists as ice, in the liquid state as water and in the
gaseous state as water vapour. Ever wondered the reason behind the change of state or what happens to the particles
during the change of state? Change in the states of matter mainly depends on temperature and pressure. This article
briefly deals with the reasons for the change in the states of matter from one form to the other.

Solid-state           →              Liquid state

On the increasing temperature of solids, the kinetic energy associated with the particles of the matter increases. As the
kinetic energy of the particles increases, they begin to vibrate with a higher frequency. Therefore the force of attraction
between the particles reduces. As a result particles get detached from their position and begin to move freely. At this
state solids undergo a phase change to form liquids. This process is known as melting.
Liquid state         →                Gaseous state

When an adequate amount of heat is supplied to liquids, the particles of the liquid begin to move with greater speed. At
a particular temperature, the particles possess enough energy to break away from the force of attraction that exists
between the particles. At this point, the particles undergo a phase change and exhibit the vapour phase as well as the
liquid phase. The point at which this happens is called the boiling point. This process is called evaporation. Sometimes
solids get converted into gaseous state directly and the phenomenon is called sublimation.

All forms of matter have the capability to change from one state of matter to another. The change is mainly due to the
difference in the forces that hold the particles together. It can be concluded that temperature and pressure play an
important role in determining the state of a matter i.e. whether it is in solid, liquid or gaseous state at a given set of
temperature and pressure. 

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS – FAQS

What are the three common states of matter?

The common thing among the three states of matter is-they consist of tiny, small particles. They have a specific mass and can take
up space. There is a volume in these three states. In these three states ‘atoms have the strength of attractions between them.

Can matter be created?

In addition, the first law of thermodynamics does not state that matter can not be created or destroyed, but rather that the total
amount of energy in a closed system can not be created or destroyed, although it can be modified from one form to another.

Is matter created or destroyed?

There is a scientific law called the Mass Conservation Law, which Antoine Lavoisier discovered in 1785. It states in its most compact
form: matter is not created or destroyed. The universe’s total mass and energy is constant.

Is matter-energy?

The mass of these three particles is less than a neutron’s mass, so each of them still gets some energy. So the same thing is really
power and matter. Fully interchangeable. So in a way, all facets of the same thing are energy, matter, space and time.

What is Einstein’s theory of relativity?

In 1905, Albert Einstein determined that for all non-accelerating observers, the laws of physics were the same and that the speed of
light in a vacuum was independent of all observers ‘ movement. This was the special relativity theory

Why are properties of matter important?

Scientists need to understand the properties of matter because it is made up of it. Solid, liquid, and gas are the three primary phases
of matter. Depending on their physical features, most matter will exist in any of these states. More specifically, scientists deal with a
wide range of materials.
What are the four properties of matter?

Mass, weight, and volume are examples of extensive properties that differ from the sum of the material. Colour, melting point,
boiling point, electrical conductivity, and physical condition at a given temperature are examples of intensive properties that are
independent of the volume of the material.

What is texture in the properties of matter?

Volume is a physical property of matter that can be measured quantitatively. Texture refers to how something feels to you when you
touch it. Soft, smooth, rough, bumpy, silky, sticky, and chalky are some of the textures that objects can have. The texture of an
object is determined by our sense of touch.

Can density be a property of matter?

Density is a physical property of matter that reflects the mass-to-volume relationship. The more mass an object has in a given
amount of space, the denser it is. Density measurements are useful for distinguishing substances since different substances have
different densities.

What are the observable properties of matter?

Observable properties are features or aspects of materials or artifacts that we can describe using our five senses. We can use our
senses to assess colour, texture, hardness, and flexibility.

What are matter particles?

Matter is composed of elementary particles at the most fundamental level, such as quarks and leptons (the class of elementary
particles which includes electrons). Quarks fuse into protons and neutrons and form atoms of the elements of the periodic table,
such as hydrogen, oxygen, and iron, along with electrons.

How do particles of matter have spaces?

It is correct to suggest that matter particles have space between them. The physical features of matter suggest that matter has space
between its constituent particles. So, it goes into the tiny spaces between water molecules that are present.

How many properties of matter are there?

Four normal forms of matter are present: solids, liquids, gases and plasma. The fifth condition is the Bose-Einstein condensates that
are man-made. In a solid, ions are closely bundled together so that they don’t move much.

What are the classification of matter?

It is important to classify matter into two categories: pure substances and mixtures. Elements and molecules are further broken
down into basic substances. Mixtures are entities that are mechanically mixed and which can be divided into their original
components. One form of atom or molecule is made of a chemical substance.

What is the definition of mixtures?

In chemistry, a combination is a medium made up of physically mixed two or more distinct compounds. In the type of liquids,
suspensions and colloids, a mixture is the physical synthesis of two or more substances in which the names are preserved and
combined.