Matter in our surroundings
As we look at our surroundings, we see a large variety of things with different shapes, sizes and textures. Everything in this universe is made up of material which scientists have named “matter”. The air we breathe, the food we eat, stones, clouds, stars, plants and animals, even a small drop of water or a particle of sand – every thing is matter. We can also see as we look around that all the things mentioned above occupy space and have mass. In other words, they have both mass and volume. Since early times, human beings have been trying to understand their surroundings.
Early Indian philosophers classified matter in the form of five basic elements – the “Panch Tatva”– air, earth, fire, sky and water.
According to them everything, living or nonliving, was made up of these five basic elements. Ancient Greek philosophers had arrived at a similar classification of matter. Modern day scientists have evolved two types of classification of matter based on their physical properties and chemical nature.
Matter:Physical Nature of Matter:
1) Matter is made up of particles
E.g. When we dissolve salt in water, the particles of salt get into the spaces between particles of water.
2) The particles of matter are very small –they are small beyond our imagination!!!!
Characteristics of Particles of Matter:
1) Particles of matter have space between them.
2) Particles of matter are continuously moving.
3) Particles of matter attract each other.
4) Particles of matter collide with each other and the walls of the container.
5) Particles of matter can be of different shape and size.
WAhhh
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