TOPIC 6: STRUCTURE AND PROPERTIES OF MATTER | PHYSICS FORM 1
TOPIC 6: STRUCTURE AND PROPERTIES OF MATTER | PHYSICS FORM 1
is made up of tiny particles. The particles are atom or molecules,
examples of substances, which are made up of atoms, are: gold, copper,
and ammonia.
In solid,
storm’s attractive forces hold molecules together so that they are not
free to move but they can only vibrate about their mean positions.
In
liquids there are weak forces of attraction between molecules therefore
the molecules are free to move randomly. The distances between
molecules in liquids are therefore are larger than in solids.
case of gases the molecules experience very weak forces of attraction
and hence they are free to move randomly filling the whole space of the
containing vessel. The distances between molecules in gases are
comparatively greater than those in solids and liquids as shown in the
figure above.
when solid particles are placed in the source of lead the particles
tends to move from hot area to cold areas. These particles move because
it gains energy that called it Kinetic energy.
theory of matter sometimes attempts to explain how properties of gases
like pressure, temperature and volume remain in constant motion.
- Matter is made up of tiny invisible part.
- Matter comes in different sizes.
- There is a point that the smallest particles of matter can be the fastest.
kinetic theory of matter states, “All matter is composed of small
particles”Or “Particles of matter are in steady motion and that all
impacts between the units of matter are completely elastic”
- Solid state
- Liquid state
- Gaseous state
state is the state of matter, which include solid materials, in which
the intermolecular force between molecules are greatest and distance
between molecules is small. Examples of solid state are wood, iron, etc.
sate is the one of the state of matter in which the intermolecular
forces are low compared to solid state, there is greater distance
between one molecule and another. See on figure 1.0 (b) examples water,
soda, kerosene, and petroleum.
state is the state of matter in which there is no intermolecular forces
between molecules hence molecules are free to move from one place to
another examples of gases are hydrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide gas.
Solid state | Liquid state | Gaseous state. |
It concerns with solid matter | It concerns with liquids/ fluids matter | It concerns with gases |
Have high intermolecular | Low intermolecular force | No intermolecular force |
No distance between molecules | There is little distance between molecules | Molecules are far from each other |
Good examples are iron materials, woods etc. | Good examples are water, soda, kerosene and petrol | Good examples are oxygen and hydrogen |
movement refers to the irregular motion of tiny particles suspended in
fluid (liquid organs).
observed that particles floating in the water were darting about.

a force is applied to a body the dimension of the body is usually
altered. If an iron wire is stretched by small force applied to it
longitudinally, the wire returns to its original shape and size when the
force is removed.
can be defined as the property of the iron wire by which it recovers
its original shape and size on removal of the stretching force.

everyday life we often actually do the activities that are concerned
with the application of physics. Here are some of the application of
physics in everyday life especially in the application of Elasticity:
Spring
mattress. When you sit or sleep on a spring mattress, futon style push
your weight. Pressured by the compressed spring mattress. Due to the
nature of its elasticity, stretch a spring mattress again. Spring will
be stretched and compressed, and so on.
Spring that is used as
shock absorbers on motorcycles. Springs used in the suspension systems
of motor vehicles. The purpose of this is to dampen spring a surprise
when a motorcycle driven through an uneven road surface.
Another
simple example and that you may often come across is the catapult. When
it was about to shoot birds with catapults for example, rubber
slingshots first stretch (given the gravity). Due to the nature of its
elasticity, long rubber slingshots will return to normal after a tensile
force is removed.
Cohesion is the force of attraction between the molecules of the same substance, example water to water molecules.
Adhesion is the force of attraction between the molecule of different substances example water to glass molecules.
we carried out activities involving determination of volume in a liquid
ring and measuring cylinder. The description indicated that the surface
of the liquid was carved, forming a meniscus, and that the volume must
be read at the bottom or top of the meniscus, depending on the liquid
used. For mercury, the top of the meniscus is read.
formation of a meniscus in a liquid is due to forces of adhesion
between the liquid and the walls of the container. The adhesion of the
liquid such as water to the wall of a vessel causes an upward force on
the liquid at the edge.

opposite takes place in mercury, the meniscus of water curves upwards
forming a concave shape. When a drop of each liquid, mercury and water
are placed on a glass sheet, water spreads further unlike mercury,
because of mercury’s high cohesion force among its particle.
- To stick two different objects together. Here we use the adhesive effects of tape or glue.
- Adhesion
can also be used to remove harmful materials such as bacteria from
drinking water. Adhesive forces are the source attraction substance. - Cohesion assists in transport of water in plants and animals by allowing one molecule to pull others along with it.
- The bodies of plants and animals also use the cohesion of tissue to repair damage.
- Ink sticks on paper because of adhesive force between the paper and ink.
you may not be able to walk on water, water stride does. This is due to
the property of liquid, which is known as surface tension.
tension is the ability of the molecules on the surface of a liquid to
attract and stick to each other allowing them to resist an external
force. Surface tension enables insects such as water strides and
mosquitoes to walk on water. It allows small objects even metallic ones
such as needles and razor blades to float on the surface of water.
tension is a resultant attractive force between molecules in a liquid.
The molecules below the surface liquid have forces of attraction between
neighbouring particles. However molecules at the surface have no
neighbouring molecules above them. This makes them have stronger
attractive force than their nearest neighbours on the surface.
when some detergent is added to water, the same objects sink to the
bottom of the trough. This means that the detergent interfered with the
surface of the liquid so decreasing the tension of the water surface.

Nature of the liquid
Contamination/impurities
Temperature
- In extraction of impurities dating laboratory process.
- Surfactants are also used to make emulsion of liquid like oil and water.
- In cleaning action of soap.
- In extraction of impurities dating laboratory process
- Surfactants are also used to make emulsion of liquid like oil and water.
- In cleaning action of soap
is the tendency of a liquid to rise in narrow tubes or to be drawn into
small openings such as those between the fibres of a towel. Capillarity
can pull a column of liquid upward until the weight of liquid becomes
greater than the surface tension.
smaller the radius of the tube the higher the liquid will rise in it.
This implies that capillarity height is immensely proportional to the
diameter of the tube.
is defined as the tendency of liquid to rise in narrow tubes or to be
drawn into small openings such as those between the fibres of a towel.

- Capillarity
depends on the type of liquid. For example if you dip capillarity tube
in water the water rises in the tube and above the level of the water in
the vessel. - If the tube is dipped in mercury, the liquid does not rise in the tube. It suffers capillarity depression.
- Capillarity is essential to plants and animals.
- In
plants, it facilitates the transport of water and nutrients from the
roots to the leaves where photosynthesis produces the plants food. In
animals it assists in the circulation of blood. - Capillarity promotes the movement of ground water.
- It is the principles on which paper and fabric towels work to absorb water.
- Cotton clothing in hot climates uses capillarity action to draw perspiration away from the body.
- In an oil or kerosene lamp capillarity draws the fuel up into the wicker where it can be burnt.
- A writing Rubin splits in the middle so that a fine capillary is formed.
will diffuse through the membrane in an attempt to equalize the
concentration on either side. E.g. two solutions of different
concentration separated by a semi permeable membrane. The membrane is
permeable to the smaller solvent molecules but not to the larger solute
molecules. Osmosis stops when the concentration becomes the same on
either side of the membrane.

- Control the movement of water and nutrients in and out of the cell.
- Filtration processes.
- Removal of harmful ingredients from dinking water.
- Removing salt from seawater so as to make it suitable for drinking and for other domestic uses.
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