English For Sciences

ENGLISH FOR SCIENCES
Why Does Matter Matter?
What do trees, air, and water have in common? They all have matter. That means they take up space.
You might be wondering why these things look so different if they all have matter. Everything found on
Earth can be grouped into one of three states of matter: solid, liquid, or gas. In order to figure out which
state of matter an object fits in, we have to examine its properties.
The properties we look at are shape, mass, and volume. Mass is the amount of matter an object has, and
volume is the amount of space the matter takes up. Solids are easy to recognize. They have definite
shape, mass, and volume. Trees are solids. They are made up of tiny particles called atoms. These
atoms are packed closely together, and they hold the solid in a definite shape that does not change. If you
look around your house, you will see lots of solids. Televisions, beds, tables, chairs, and even the food
you eat.
Liquids do not have definite shape, but they do have definite mass and volume. Liquids are similar to
solids because their atoms are close together, but what makes a liquid different is that those atoms can
move around. Liquids can change shape by flowing. If you’ve ever spilled a glass of milk, then you know it
spreads out across the floor. It does this because the milk is taking the shape of the floor. Since liquids do
not have a definite shape of their own, they will take the shape of their containers. This is why the same
amount of milk can look different in a tall glass, a wide mug, or spread out on your kitchen floor. Gases do
not have definite shape or volume. Like liquids, gasses will take the shape of their containers. If a gas is
not in a container, it will spread out indefinitely. This is because the atoms in a gas are spaced farther
apart than in a solid or a liquid.
And being spread out like this allows them to move around freely. Think about the air you breathe every
day. That air is spread across the empty space around the earth. You’ve probably also noticed that you
usually cannot see the air. This is another property of gases. Even though we cannot see them, you come
in contact with them every day. There’s air in the tires of your family car and your bicycle. The sun is
made up of gases, and the clouds in the sky are mostly made from water vapor. When trying to remember
the three states of matter, think about water. If it freezes into a solid, it becomes ice. Its atoms are packed
together keeping its shape.
Of course, we know water can also be a liquid. It flows in rivers or it can be poured from a glass. When
water evaporates it becomes water vapor, a type of gas in the air. Try a little experiment of your own by
placing an ice cube in a covered glass or container. You will be able to observe the ice first in its solid
form and then watch as it melts into a liquid to become water. Eventually the water will turn to water vapor
and your glass or container will be filled with this gas.
EXERCISES
1.) Choose a word from the following list to complete each sentence. Solids, gases, liquids,
volume, mass shape, container, space, chair, milk, ice, air, clouds, juice, melting, atoms, matter.
1. The three basic properties of matter are ______________________________,

______________________________, and _____________________________.
2. All matter is made up of tiny particles called _____________________________.
3. Volume is the amount of _____________________________ that matter takes up.
4. Mass is the amount of _____________________________ an object has.
5. Liquids take the shape of their _____________________________.
6. _____________________________ do not have a definite shape or volume.
7. ___________________________ do not have a definite shape, but they do have a definite volume.
8. _____________________________ have a definite shape and volume.
9. A ___________________________ and ___________________________ are examples of solids.
10. ___________________________ and ___________________________ are examples of liquids.
11. ___________________________ and ___________________________ are examples of gas.
12. Solid ice is ___________________________ when it is changing into a liquid.
2.) Fill in the blanks with the appropriate words.
VERB ADJECTIVE NOUN

Solid
Liquid
Gas
Examine
Freeze
Evaporate
3.) Tick the right option.
1.) Properties of Matter______________
a. Three states of matter are
b. density, weight, and gas
c. gas, liquid, and mixture
d. solid, liquid, and gas e. buoyancy, mass, shape
2.) The particles of matter making up a(n) ___________are packed together tightly.
a. helium
b. liquid
c. gas
d. solid
3.) The temperature at which a substance changes from a solid to a liquid.
a. boiling point
b. melting point
c. pure substance
4.) Which would cause liquid water to change to a solid?
a. warming
b. heating
c. freezing
d. dripping

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ENGLISH FOR SCIENCES

Why Does Matter Matter?

1. The three basic properties of matter are ______________________________,

2. All matter is made up of tiny particles called _____________________________.

3. Volume is the amount of _____________________________ that matter takes up.

4. Mass is the amount of _____________________________ an object has.

5. Liquids take the shape of their _____________________________.

6. _____________________________ do not have a definite shape or volume.

8. _____________________________ have a definite shape and volume.

9. A ___________________________ and ___________________________ are examples of solids.

10. ___________________________ and ___________________________ are examples of liquids.

11. ___________________________ and ___________________________ are examples of gas.

12. Solid ice is ___________________________ when it is changing into a liquid.

2.) Fill in the blanks with the appropriate words.

VERB ADJECTIVE NOUN

1.) Properties of Matter______________

a. Three states of matter are

b. density, weight, and gas

c. gas, liquid, and mixture

d. solid, liquid, and gas e. buoyancy, mass, shape

3.) The temperature at which a substance changes from a solid to a liquid.

4.) Which would cause liquid water to change to a solid?

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9. A _ and _ are examples of solids.

10. _ and _ are examples of liquids.

11. _ and _ are examples of gas.