Matter and chemistry activities

Particles and materials

Explore states of matter, density, atoms and molecules.

1. 1

   How can the same material have different states?

   Compare moving particles in an idealised solid, liquid and gas.

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2. 2

   What changes when particles are heated?

   Compare particle motion while keeping particle count and container size fixed.

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3. 3

   Can a small object be denser than a big one?

   Change mass and volume separately and compare their ratio.

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4. 4

   What makes one atom a different element?

   Change nucleus and electron counts in a labelled schematic atom.

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5. 5

   How do atoms make different molecules?

   Assemble selected atom counts and compare three molecular models.

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Mixtures and reactions

Separate, dissolve and rearrange particles while following the evidence.

1. 1

   How can a mixture be separated without a reaction?

   Choose a virtual tool that uses a difference in physical properties.

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2. 2

   Where does a solid go when it dissolves?

   Track solute particles and the limit of a simplified solution.

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3. 3

   Can atoms disappear in a chemical reaction?

   Rearrange a limited inventory of atom groups and compare totals.

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4. 4

   What can change how quickly a reaction proceeds?

   Compare temperature and a catalyst in an explicitly illustrative reaction model.

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5. 5

   What can an indicator tell us about a solution?

   Compare virtual pH values and an illustrative colour indicator.

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Keep exploring

Read more in Physical Science encyclopedia articles, with reading controls on each article. For printable practice, explore Maths worksheets and answer guides.