Chemistry tutorial on Matter

 Classification of Matter

      All the objects that we see in the world around us, are made of matter. Matter makes up the air we breathe, the ground we walk on, the food we eat and the animals and plants that live around us. Even our own human bodies are made of matter!

Different objects can be made of different types of materials (the matter from which objects are made). For example, a cupboard (an object) is made of wood, nails, hinges and knobs (the materials). The properties of the materials will affect the properties of the object. In the example of the cupboard, the strength of the wood and metals make the cupboard strong and durable. It is very important to understand the properties of materials, so that we can use them in our homes, in industry and in other applications.

Some of the properties of matter that you should know are:

• Materials can be strong and resist bending (e.g. bricks, rocks) or weak and bend easily (e.g. clothes)

• Materials that conduct heat (e.g. metals) are called thermal conductors. Materials that conduct electricity (e.g. copper wire) are electrical conductors.

• Brittle materials break easily (e.g. plastic). Materials that are malleable can be easily formed into different shapes (e.g. clay, dough). Ductile materials are able to be formed into long wires (e.g. copper).

• Magnetic materials have a magnetic field (e.g. iron).

• Density is the mass per unit volume. Examples of dense materials include concrete and stones.

• The boiling and melting points of substances tells us the temperature at which the substance will boil or melt. This helps us to classify substances as solids, liquids or gases at a specific temperature.