What is general and specific properties of matter?
The General Properties of MatterMassThere are four different properties of matter. They are weight, volume, mass, and density. The most important one is mass. Mass is the amount of matter in an object and it never changes unless matter is taken out of the object. Mass also has a direct relationship with inertia. Inertia is the resistance of motion of an object. If an object has a greater mass, then it has a greater inertia. Also, you can find mass by measuring it on a triple beam balance.(Q)Does the man on top of Mount Everest (left) have a greater or lesser mass then he would in Death Valley? (Answer Below)(A)Neither! The man has the same mass no matter where he is. Mass doesn't change with location. Remember, the only way for it to change is if matter is taken out of the object.VolumeVolume is another general property of matter. Anything that takes up space has volume. In fact, volume is the amount of space an object takes up. You can find a straight-edged object's volume by measuring the Length x Width x Height. For irregular shaped objects, you'd probably want to use a graduated cylinder. Liters and milliliters are used to measure the volume of liquids, while cubic centimeters are used to measure solids.(Q)If the cube on the right is 5cm long, 5cm wide, and 5cm tall; what is the volume of the object?(A)The correct answer is 125 cubic centimeters(cc). Remember, in order to get the volume of straight-edged objects, you need to multiply the length x width x height.DensityThe third general property of matter is density. Density is very important because it enables you to compare different objects. For instance, water has a density of 1 gram/cc and wood is 0.8 grams/cc. Therefore, wood will float in water because it's density is less than that of water. The equation for density is Density=Mass/Volume. Also, if you split an object in half, it will still have the exact same density.(Q)If the mass of the car on the left is 2000kg, and the volume is 1000cc, then what is the density?(A)The density would be 2kg/cc. Don't forget, density equals mass divided by volume.WeightWeight is the fourth general property of matter. It is defined as the measure of force of attraction between objects due to gravity. Gravity is what keeps you and me on the ground. In fact, gravity exists between you and your computer. You are attracted to it by gravity. You don't feel the attraction because the computer's mass is so small. The earth, on the other hand has a very large mass. That's why you are attracted to the ground. Weight, unlike mass, changes with location. The farther you are from the center of the Earth, the less you weigh. The metric unit for weight is the newton, even though in America the most common unit is the pound. The equation for weight is Weight=Mass x Acceleration due to gravity, but I personally think the easiest one is for every kilogram of mass, there's 9.8 newtons of weight.(Q)If the mass of this buck on the right is 125kg, then what is the weight in newtons on Earth?(A)It would weigh 1,225N. This is because there's 9.8 newtons on Earth for every one kilogram.
