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Matter Changes Exploration

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Matter Changes Exploration

Read the field notes, study the observation chart, and use evidence to decide what is happening to matter. Answer every question. A change in appearance alone does not always mean a new substance formed.

Field Notes: What Counts as a Change?

Matter has mass and takes up space. In a physical change, a material may change size, shape, or state, but the substance remains the same. Ice melting is still water. Many physical changes can be reversed, though not all are easy to reverse. In a chemical change, atoms rearrange and form one or more new substances. Burning wood and rust forming on iron are examples. Bubbles, a lasting color change, light, or a temperature change can be clues, but one clue by itself does not prove that a chemical change occurred. A reaction starts with reactants and forms products. For example, when baking soda and vinegar react, the fizzing gas is carbon dioxide. Plastics are synthetic materials: people make them through chemical processes, often using resources from petroleum. Their useful properties can also make some plastics persist in the environment.

A. An ice cube becomes a puddle. The puddle can be frozen again.

B. Baking soda and vinegar fizz. The container feels cooler, and gas forms.

C. A sheet of paper is folded into a paper airplane. It is still paper.

D. A steel nail left damp develops a reddish-brown coating that does not brush off easily.

Solve the Investigation

Use the field notes and chart to support your thinking.

1.Which two stations show physical changes, and which two show chemical changes? Name the station letters and classify each one.

2.At station B, which observation is the clearest evidence that a chemical reaction occurred?

The ingredients were in a container.
Gas formed as the mixture fizzed.
The container was made of clear material.
The mixture took up space.

3.At station A, explain why melting is a physical change even though the ice looks different after it melts.

4.For station B, identify the reactants and name the gas product mentioned in the field notes.

5.A change in color always proves that a chemical change has occurred. Write true or false and give one reason.

TrueFalse

6.In a physical change, the substance stays the same. In a chemical change, atoms rearrange and form a substance.

7.Use the field notes to explain what it means when a material, such as plastic, is called synthetic.

8.Complete the chain: People make plastics through chemical processes, creating materials with useful properties. One possible environmental effect is that .

9.Compare folding paper at station C with rust forming at station D. Which change makes a new substance? Explain how you know.

10.A student says, “The container at station B felt cooler, so that alone proves a chemical change.” Is the student's reasoning strong? State a better claim using at least two observations from the chart.

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Free in Kuraplan

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