Solids, Liquids and Gases: Concept Map
≈ 24 minConcept Map
Organise the vocabulary, quantities and relationships into a connected model.
This extension applies that lens specifically to Solids, Liquids and Gases.
All the matter around you is found in one of three states: solid, liquid or gas. We tell them apart by how they behave, not by what they are made of.
| Property | Solid | Liquid | Gas |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shape | Fixed | Takes the shape of the container | Fills the whole container |
| Volume | Fixed | Fixed | Not fixed — spreads out |
| Can it be compressed? | Almost not at all | Almost not at all | Easily |
| Does it flow? | No | Yes | Yes |
| Typical density | High | Fairly high | Very low |
Examples from one kitchen: a steel pot (solid), the water in it (liquid), the steam above it (gas). Same street: a brick wall, the water in a Jojo tank, the butane in a gas bottle.
Worked example. Classify each of the following and justify it: milk, a soccer ball, the air inside the soccer ball, mielie meal.
- Milk — liquid: it takes the shape of the jug but keeps its volume.
- The ball's leather — solid: fixed shape and volume.
- The air inside — gas: it fills every part of the ball, and you can squeeze more in with a pump.
- Mielie meal — solid. This one catches people out because it pours. But each individual grain has a fixed shape and volume; what flows is a pile of many tiny solids, not a liquid.
Natural Sciences — Grade 8 — Concept Map: Which state of matter has a fixed volume but takes the shape of its container?
Natural Sciences — Grade 8 — Concept Map: Which state of matter can easily be squeezed into a much smaller space?
Natural Sciences — Grade 8 — Concept Map: A learner measures 250 mL of water in a measuring cylinder and pours all of it into an empty 400 mL bottle. What is the volume of the water in the bottle, in millilitres?
Name the original topic being extended by this concept map lesson.
Which statement is the best evidence-led starting point for Solids, Liquids and Gases: Concept Map?