Three States of Matter

Which Side Does the Ink Drop Move?

This science revision note aims to help your child

– understand what happens to the gases in each container. Which concept must you apply?

– Predict what happens to the ink drop.

– proper scientific keywords to explain the concepts clearly.

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Saul connected two identical containers with a tube, with a drop of ink in the middle of the glass tube. He then placed a flame under container A.

What will happen to the drop of ink? Explain your answer.

STEP 1

You would have noticed the flame below container A. What does the flame do?

The flame heats up container A.

STEP 2

What happens when the flame heats container A?

The air in container A gains heat from the flame and expands.

Take note of the proper explanations on gain heat concepts. The object/substance gains heat from (the heat source) and expands.

STEP 3

What happens when the air in container A expands?

When the air in container A expands, its volume increases and takes up / occupies more space.

STEP 4

How does this affect the ink in the tube?

As the air in container A takes up more space, some air leaves container A and enters the tube, pushing the air in the tube towards the ink, thus causing the ink to move towards container B.

FINALLY, put your answer together

Question: What will happen to the drop of ink? Explain your answer.

Answer:

The ink will move towards container B.

The air in container A gains heat from the flame and expands. The air increases in volume and takes up more space in the container. Some air leaves container A into the tube, pushing the air in the tube towards the ink, thus causing the ink to move towards container B.

Common mistakes

Wrong explanation: The air in container A will gain heat and expand, hence it will increase in mass. Some air will leave container A into the tube and cause the ink to move towards container B.

Teachers’ comments:

Firstly, when a substance gains heat and expands, this does not affect the mass of the substance (because the amount of matter in the substance remains the same). It only increases the volume of the substance (as the substance will take up more space).

Secondly, the mass of the air in the containers does not affect the movement of the ink. The movement of ink is only affected by how much space the air on each side of the ink takes up, which means it is only affected by the volume of air on each side of the ink.

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Click here to understand another must-know exam question on the matter and its three states

>>> https://scienceshifu.com/p5-science-matter-and-its-three-states-properties-of-gas/