Now you know that matter is anything that has mass and takes up space. But what does that mean, and why should you care? This animation gives you a very basic introduction to this very broad concept, and makes the argument that matter truly matters.
As you watch the segment, be sure to check the definitions of specific terms. In addition to matter, the terms atom and particle will be used. Stop the animation at any time, watch it again, or read the transcript.
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The whole universe, including you, is made up of stuff. And that stuff has a fancy name: matter.
Matter is what makes up everything around us. Anything that has mass- meaning it takes up space and has stuff inside-- is matter. Whether it’s a solid, liquid or gas, if you can put it in a jar and keep it there, then it’s matter. Ice cream, gold, water, air-- these are all matter. Things like light, sound, energy --these things have no mass and you can’t keep them in a jar. These are not matter.
What makes matter matter is if you take it apart to its most basic unit you get the same type of particle every time. An Atom. Even at its tiny size, it’s got mass -- “stuff” inside-- and it takes up space. Atoms form the building blocks of all matter, regardless of shape, size, or state.
So why should we care about atoms and matter? Well, the physical world around us is made up of matter, and matter is made up of atoms. And without understanding the basic gist of both of these concepts, we’d have a hard time making stuff out of them--phones, electronics, medicine, chemicals, you name it.
So whether it’s a ring on your finger or the phone in your hand, matter, and the atoms that compose it, definitely matter.
In the space below, write one sentence describing matter, and one sentence describing atoms. Then, write one sentence in which you define the relationship between atoms and matter.