Really Good Stuff Activity Guide
®
States of Matter Banner
Congratulations on your purchase of the Really Good
Stuff® States of Matter Banner.
Inside this Really Good Stuff® set you’ll find:
• States of Matter Banner, 19" x 24"
• This Really Good Stuff® Activity Guide
Introducing the States of Matter Banner
Show students an ice cube, a glass of water, and a
States of Matter Banner
plastic bag of air into which you have breathed. Ask
Students will be introduced to the concept that the
students what all three things have in common (they
arrangement and movement of the particles of a
contain water) and how they are different (one is solid
substance will determine its properties. They will learn
water, one is liquid water, and one is gaseous water).
how the three States of Matter are different and how
Explain to students they will be learning what causes the
one can be changed to another.
three things to be the same substance but yet have
such different properties or characteristics.
Reproducible 1
Observe the chart carefully and answer the
following questions.
1. What are the three states of matter?
3. Name the two states of matter which do not have a
definite shape, but take the shape of their containers.
a. ___________________________
_______________________________,
b.____________________________
_______________________________,
_______________________________
2. Observe the pictures showing the molecules of each
state of matter. List the states of matter in order
s t a rting with the one whose molecules are
farthest apart.
a. __________________________
(molecules are farthest apart)
4. Put the states of matter in order by how fast the
molecules move. Put the fastest first.
a. ___________________
(molecules move the fastest)
b. ____________________
c. _____________________
(molecules move more slowly and vibrate
in place)
b. __________________________
c. _________________________
(molecules are closest together)
5. Name the two states of matter which have definite
volumes.
a. _____________________
b. _____________________
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© 2006 Really Good Stuff ® 1-800-366-1920 www.reallygoodstuff.com #154523
Reproducible 2
Changing States of Matter
Water can be a solid, a liquid, or a gas. If we take a solid ice cube and add heat, it will become liquid water; if we add
more heat, it will become water vapor or water gas. All three substances are still water and still have weight. We only
changed their form or state of matter. Depending on the temperature, most substances can change their form and
become a solid, liquid, or gas.
Read each statement and decide whether the statement is true about the solid, liquid or gas state of matter.
You can place a check in more than one column.
Statements
Solid
Liquid
Gas
1. have a definite volume
2. have a definite shape
3. molecules are packed tightly
together
4. feel hard to the touch
5. have a definite volume and shape
6. have no definite volume or shape
7. have weight
8. state of matter of water
9. particles are farther apart and
move very quickly
10. particles are very close together
and vibrate in place
11. state of matter which is made by
adding heat to a liquid
12. state of matter which is made
when heat is taken away from
a liquid
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© 2006 Really Good Stuff ® 1-800-366-1920 www.reallygoodstuff.com #154523
Reproducible 3
States of Matter Matching
Words used to describe how a substance looks and feels are called physical properties. One of the important
properties of a substance is its state of matter—solid, liquid, or gas—at room temperature. When we think of water,
we say its state of matter is liquid because water is a liquid at room temperature. However, if we raise the
temperature of water to 100 degrees Celsius, the water will change its state of matter to a gas or vapor. If we lower
the temperature of the water to 0 degrees Celsius, it will change its state of matter to a solid. When we change the
state of the water we change how it looks and feels but it is still the same substance—water. This type of change is
called a physical change.
Most substances can be changed to a solid, liquid, or gas by changing the temperature. The temperature at which the
substance changes from a solid to a liquid is called its melting point. The temperature at which the substance
changes from liquid to gas is called its boiling point. Different substances have different melting points and boiling
points. For example, we know gold is a solid at room temperature but changes to a liquid at its melting point of 1064
degrees Celsius. Gold can also become a gas when it reaches its boiling point of 3080 degrees Celsius.
Use the States of Matter Banner and the information above to complete the matches below. Find the word that
best matches the definitions and write the number of the word in the blank column.
Write
number
of
answer
here
1.
solid
Molecules moving very fast
2.
liquid
Tiny particles that matter is made of
3.
gas
A change in size, shape or state
4.
molecules
Point at which a substance changes from a liquid to
a gas
5.
heat
Molecules vibrate in a fixed position
6.
physical change
Point at which a substance changes from a solid to
a liquid
7.
0 degrees C
Takes the shape of the container. Molecules slide over
each other
8.
100 degrees C
Melting point of water. Changes from solid to liquid
9.
gold
Is a solid at room temperature
10.
melting point
Boiling point of water. Changes from a liquid to a gas
11.
boiling point
Often changes a solid to a liquid, or a liquid to a gas
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© 2006 Really Good Stuff ® 1-800-366-1920 www.reallygoodstuff.com #154523
Reproducible 4
Enrichment on States of Matter Banner
1. Why does changing the temperature of a substance cause it to change state?
Adding heat to ice causes the particles in matter to move faster. As the particles move faster, the particles are
unable to hold on to one another as tightly. At some point the connections get so loose that the particles can now
slide over one another. However, they are not moving fast enough to completely escape from the other particles.
What state of matter am I? ______________________Explain your answer
If I add more heat to the substance described above, the particles begin to move faster and faster. After a while they
are moving fast enough that none of the other particles can hold onto them and the particles can now go where ever
they want. If I put this substance in a container with no lid, the particles will leave the container.
What state of matter am I? ________________________ Explain your answer.
2. Plasma, the fourth state of matter.
The three states of matter—solid, liquid, and gas—describe most of the substances with which we come in contact
every day. However, there is a fourth state of matter called plasma. If we could see all the things in our universe, we
would discover nearly all of the matter in the universe is in the state called plasma.
Plasma is a gas which has been heated to extremely high temperatures. These high temperatures change the charge
of the particles which make up the gas. All of the stars in our universe, including the sun, are in the plasma state of
matter. On earth, plasma can be found inside neon signs and fluorescent lights.
After reading the paragraph above, answer the following questions. Provide support for your answers by writing
quotes or sentences from the article. Remember to put quotation marks around any sentences that you copy
directly from the article.
1. What is the fourth state of matter? ____________________
Support ______________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
2. Where would you find the fourth state of matter?
Support ______________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
3. If plasma is the most common state of matter in our universe, why do you suppose we do not hear about plasma
as often as we hear about solid, liquids, and gases?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
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© 2006 Really Good Stuff ® 1-800-366-1920 www.reallygoodstuff.com #154523