Physical Properties of Matter

1. Physical Properties of Matter Writing Prompts 5.5A

2. Horseshoe Magnet—Descriptive When you use a magnet, some things are attracted to the magnet. Other objects do not stick to it. Will paper clips be attracted? How about a piece of paper? Only some kinds of metal are attracted to magnets—mostly thing containing iron or steel. The magnet will not attract other objects like plastic, rubber, or glass. The force of magnetism that attracts iron and steel is invisible but can be very strong. All magnets have a north and south pole. Opposite poles of two magnets attract each other. Like poles repel, or push each other away. Prompt: How are magnets used in your school or at your house? Describe the magnets you have seen and list the ways they are used.

3. Horseshoe Magnet—Narrative When you use a magnet, some things are attracted to the magnet. Other objects do not stick to it. Will paper clips be attracted? How about a piece of paper? Only some kinds of metal are attracted to magnets—mostly thing containing iron or steel. The magnet will not attract other objects like plastic, rubber, or glass. The force of magnetism that attracts iron and steel is invisible but can be very strong. All magnets have a north and south pole. Opposite poles of two magnets attract each other. Like poles repel, or push each other away. Prompt: A compass has a magnetic needle that always points north. Explorers use compasses to find their way. Write a story about a search for hidden treasure. What is the treasure? Who uses a compass to find it?

4. States of Matter—Narrative • Everything you can see and feel is made of matter. Computers, cell phones, books, and air are all made of matter. On the Earth, matter is naturally found in three states: solid, liquid, or gas. • Water is a special type of matter because you can see it in all three states. (Most matter stays the same state all of the time.) • When enough heat energy is removed from liquid water, it will freeze (0ºC). Its state has changed from a liquid to a solid. To change it back to a liquid, heat must be added to melt the ice (0ºC). If enough heat is added to the liquid water, it will evaporate—change from a liquid to a gas called water vapor. • Prompt: • Ice cubes, icicles, and even snowflakes are frozen water. Write a story that includes some frozen water.

5. States of Matter—Descriptive • Everything you can see and feel is made of matter. Computers, cell phones, books, and air are all made of matter. On the Earth, matter is naturally found in three states: solid, liquid, or gas. • Water is a special type of matter because you can see it in all three states. (Most matter stays the same state all of the time.) • When enough heat energy is removed from liquid water, it will freeze (0ºC). Its state has changed from a liquid to a solid. To change it back to a liquid, heat must be added to melt the ice (0ºC). If enough heat is added to the liquid water, it will evaporate—change from a liquid to a gas called water vapor. • Prompt: • Write a poem to describe one state of water (solid—ice, liquid, or gas—vapor). Use words to describe how it looks or feels or where you might find it.

6. If you ask a small child what is inside a balloon, she will probably say, “Nothing!” However, that is not true. What looks like nothing inside the balloon is really air. Air is a gas that is all around us. • Air is a mixture of many different gases (and some solids and liquids!). Most air is made up of colorless gases that we cannot see. Nitrogen and oxygen are the two gases that compose most of our atmosphere. Why do some balloons float, while others sink? Floating balloons are filled with a special gas called helium. Helium is lighter than the other gases in the air, so it floats. • Did you ever turn a cup upside down and push it into the water in a bathtub? That is a way to trap air. When you tip the cup sideways in the water, a big bubble of air floats up. That bubble wasn’t “NOTHING”, it was something—air! • Prompt: • Write a poem about balloons. What do they look like? How do they move? How do they make you feel inside? Gases—Descriptive

7. If you ask a small child what is inside a balloon, she will probably say, “Nothing!” However, that is not true. What looks like nothing inside the balloon is really air. Air is a gas that is all around us. • Air is a mixture of many different gases (and some solids and liquids!). Most air is made up of colorless gases that we cannot see. Nitrogen and oxygen are the two gases that compose most of our atmosphere. Why do some balloons float, while others sink? Floating balloons are filled with a special gas called helium. Helium is lighter than the other gases in the air, so it floats. • Did you ever turn a cup upside down and push it into the water in a bathtub? That is a way to trap air. When you tip the cup sideways in the water, a big bubble of air floats up. That bubble wasn’t “NOTHING”, it was something—air! • Prompt: • Write a story about a special celebration with balloons. Is it a birthday party? Is it a holiday? Gases—Narrative