Matter Explorer Reading Passage Grade 6 Science Reader Physical Science Series
Reading Companion Article
Unlocking the Secrets of Matter: What’s It Made Of?
Everything you touch, drink, and breathe is part of a grand scientific mystery. Let’s investigate the stuff our universe is made of!
1
What Exactly is Matter?
Look around your classroom right now. Your heavy wooden desk, your favorite mechanical pencil, your science textbook, and the cold water inside your water bottle are all made of matter . In science, matter is anything that has mass and takes up space . The amount of space an object takes up is called its volume .
Air is Sneaky Matter!
Even though you can’t see the air you breathe, it is 100% matter! Blow up a balloon: the air fills up space inside, and if you weigh it on a sensitive electronic balance, the inflated balloon is heavier than the empty one.
What is NOT Matter?
Warm sunlight streaming through the window is not matter. Neither is the ringing of the school bell or the heat radiating from a campfire. Light, sound, and heat are forms of energy . They don't have mass or take up space!
2
What Are Physical Properties?
Observation Clues
A bike helmet is hard and glossy, while water in a mountain stream is cool and clear. These descriptions are physical properties . A physical property is any characteristic of matter that you can observe or measure without changing what the substance is .
Size-Dependent Properties: Mass vs. Weight
Some physical properties change when you have a bigger or smaller sample. These are called size-dependent properties .
Mass = Amount of Stuff Mass measures how much actual matter is packed into an object (measured in grams or kilograms). If you travel to the Moon, your mass stays exactly the same because your body still has the exact same amount of matter!
Weight = Gravity’s Pull Weight is the gravitational pull on an object. Because the Moon is smaller and has weaker gravity than Earth, you would weigh only one-sixth as much on the Moon. Weight depends on location; mass never does!
3
Measuring Volume: The Water Splash Trick
How do scientists find out how much space an object occupies? It depends on the shape of the object!
📦 Regular Solids & Liquids
For liquids, pour them into a graduated cylinder and read the markings in milliliters (mL) . For neat geometric solids like wooden blocks, use a ruler to multiply: Length × Width × Height (unit: cm³).
🪨 Irregular Solids (Water Displacement)
What if a rock or mineral chunk has a bumpy, irregular shape? Use water displacement ! Fill a cylinder to 70.0 mL, drop in the rock, and see the water rise to 73.5 mL. Subtract the two numbers: 73.5 − 70.0 = 3.5 mL of volume!
Unit 1: Matter & Its Properties Page 1 of 2 • Continue Reading on Page 2 ➜
Science Explorer Magazine • Part 2 🔬 Chemical & Physical Identities
4
Size-Independent Properties: Nature’s Fingerprints
Constant Value!
Imagine you have a single tiny grain of pure table salt and an enormous 50-pound bag of salt. Their mass and volume are very different. But some properties are size-independent —they never change, no matter how much salt you have!
🌟 Density: The Mass-to-Volume Ratio \( \text{Density} = \frac{\text{Mass}}{\text{Volume}} \)
Density is the amount of mass packed into a given unit of volume. A tiny gold nugget and a giant gold brick have the exact same density (19.3 g/cm³). Because density never changes for a pure substance, it is one of the best tools scientists have to identify unknown materials!
Conductivity & Magnetism
Electrical conductivity is the ability to carry an electric current, while thermal conductivity is the ability to carry heat (metals excel at both!). Magnetism is the ability to pull iron towards an object. Both properties stay true regardless of sample size.
Solubility & Phase Changes
Solubility is the ability of a substance to dissolve into another (like drink powder dissolving evenly in water). Every substance also has a specific melting point (solid to liquid) and boiling point (liquid to gas) that stay constant for any sample size.
Separating Mixtures
Because substances in a mixture keep their physical properties, we can separate them! If you dissolve salt in water, you can boil the mixture. Water boils and evaporates at 100°C, while salt stays behind because its boiling point is a scorching 1,413°C!
Chemical Properties
A chemical property is a characteristic you observe only when matter reacts or changes into a brand-new substance . Flammability is the ability to burn easily (wood burns into ash and smoke). Rusting happens when iron chemically combines with oxygen and water in the air!
5
Science Detective: Identifying an Unknown Substance
Real Lab Case
Suppose you are in a science lab and find an unlabeled beaker containing a white powder with a mass of 16.0 grams. Can you tell what it is just by looking at it? No! Table salt, sugar, and baking soda are all white powders. Mass won't help either, because you could measure 16.0 g of any of them.
Substance Color Sample Mass Melting Point Density Table salt white 14.5 g 801 °C 2.17 g/cm³ Sugar white 11.5 g 148 °C 1.53 g/cm³ Baking soda white 16.0 g 50 °C 2.16 g/cm³ UNKNOWN white 16.0 g 801 °C 2.17 g/cm³
🔍 How the Case is Solved: When you test the size-independent properties , the unknown melts at exactly 801 °C and has a density of 2.17 g/cm³ . Those fingerprints match table salt perfectly! Size-independent physical properties never lie.
Unit 1: Matter & Its Properties End of Reading Passage • Now Complete Your Doodle Notes!
Matter Explorer Digital Slides Physical Science Grade 6 Science Companion
Digital Class Slides
Interactive Science Guide
Matter Explorer
Investigating the properties of matter, mass versus weight, volume, density, and chemical reactions.
Unit 1: Matter & Its Properties Follow along with your Doodle Notes! ✏️
Topic 1
What is Matter?
Core Definition
Matter is anything that has MASS and takes up SPACE (has volume)!
Examples of Matter
• Solids: Desks, books, bicycle helmetsLiquids: Water in a stream, juiceGases: Air in a balloon (gas particles have mass!)
NOT Matter (Energy)
• Sunlight & Rays: Light is electromagnetic energySound: Sound is vibrating energy wavesHeat & Forces: Thermal energy (no mass/volume!)
Doodle Note Prompt: Sketch 3 examples & 3 non-examples in your boxes! Slide 2 of 8
Topic 2
Physical Properties: Mass vs. Weight
Size-Dependent Properties
📝 Physical Property:
Any characteristic of matter that you can observe or measure without changing the identity of the substance!
MASS
The amount of matter inside an object (measured in grams or kg).
🌍 Earth = 60 kg | 🌙 Moon = 60 kg
WEIGHT
The gravitational pull acting on an object (measured in Newtons).
🌍 Earth = 588 N | 🌙 Moon = 98 N
Key Difference: Mass is constant; weight depends on gravitational pull! Slide 3 of 8
Topic 2
Measuring Volume: 3 Methods
Amount of Space Occupied
1. Regular Solid Formula: \( L \times W \times H \)
Use a metric ruler to measure length, width, and height. Units are cubic centimeters (cm³ ).
📦 Example: 2 × 2 × 2 = 8 cm³
2. Liquid Volume Tool: Graduated Cylinder
Pour the liquid into a cylinder and read the bottom curve of the meniscus at eye level in milliliters (mL ).
🧪 1 mL = 1 cm³ exactly!
3. Displacement Irregular Solids (Rocks)
Submerge the object in water and measure the rise in water level:
Matter Explorer Doodle Notes Matter Explorer
✏️ Doodle Notes
Read the article • Define key terms • Add sketches • Solve the mystery!
Name:
Class Color:
Topic 1
The Nature of Matter
Fill the definition and sketch examples
Matter = Anything that has
and takes up
(has volume!)
3 Examples of Matter: Has mass & takes space
3 things that are NOT Matter: Energy (no mass / volume)
Topic 2
Physical Properties (Size-Dependent)
Definition of Physical Property:
⚖️ Mass vs. Weight Earth vs. Moon
Mass:
Weight:
Measuring Volume: 3 Methods Amount of space
1. Regular Solid \( L \times W \times H \) (cm³)
Notes:
2. Liquid Volume Cylinder (mL)
Notes:
3. Displacement Irregular solid
Notes:
Displacement Formula: Volume = Final Level − Initial Level
Topic 3
Chemical Properties
Definition:
🔥 Flammability:
🔩 Ability to Rust:
💡 Separating Mixtures:
Topic 4
Size-Independent Properties
Never changes with size!
🌟 Density Formula: \( \text{Density} = \frac{\text{Mass}}{\text{Volume}} \)
Why does density stay the same for any size sample?
Conductivity Electricity/Heat
Solubility Dissolving
Melt & Boil Pt Phase Temps
Magnetism Attraction
Detective
Mystery Substance Lab
Substance Color Mass Melt Pt Density Table salt white 14.5 g 801 °C 2.17 Sugar white 11.5 g 148 °C 1.53 Baking soda white 16.0 g 50 °C 2.16 UNKNOWN white 16.0 g 801 °C 2.17
Why can't color or mass identify the unknown?
Which properties prove the unknown's identity?
Identity:
✏️ Doodle Note Tip: Color-code vocabulary terms, highlight formulas, and shade in your sketch boxes!
Matter Explorer Answer Key Matter Explorer
🔑 TEACHER KEY
Exemplar Notes, Diagrams & Solutions • Ready for Review
Name:
Teacher Exemplar Key
Class Color:
All Classes
Topic 1
The Nature of Matter
Exemplar Answers in Red
Matter = Anything that has MASS and takes up SPACE (has volume!)
3 Examples of Matter: Has mass & takes space
⛑️Helmet
💧Water
🎈Air
3 things that are NOT Matter: Energy (no mass / volume)
☀️Light
🔊Sound
⚡Heat
Topic 2
Physical Properties (Size-Dependent)
Definition of Physical Property:
Any characteristic you can observe without changing the substance's identity.
⚖️ Mass vs. Weight Earth vs. Moon
Mass: Amount of matter; constant everywhere in the universe!
Weight: Gravitational pull; changes depending on location/gravity.
Measuring Volume: 3 Methods Amount of space
1. Regular Solid \( L \times W \times H \) (cm³)
📦 Cube / Box
Notes: Use ruler (l × w × h)
2. Liquid Volume Cylinder (mL)
🧪 Read meniscus
Notes: Graduated cylinder
3. Displacement Irregular solid
🪨 73.5 − 70.0
Notes: Final − Initial (mL)
Displacement Formula: Volume = Final Level − Initial Level
Topic 3
Chemical Properties
Definition:
Ability or inability of a substance to combine with or change into new substances.
🔥 Flammability: Ability to burn easily (wood, paper).
🔩 Ability to Rust: Iron reacts with oxygen & water.
💡 Separating Mixtures: Use differences in boiling points (evaporating water leaves salt crystals)!
Topic 4
Size-Independent Properties
Never changes with size!
🌟 Density Formula: \( \text{Density} = \frac{\text{Mass}}{\text{Volume}} \)
Why does density stay the same for any size sample? Mass and volume increase proportionally; the ratio remains identical.
Conductivity Electricity/Heat
⚡🔋 Copper wire
Carries electric current or heat
Solubility Dissolving
☕🥄 Drink powder
Ability to dissolve in another matter
Melt & Boil Pt Phase Temps
🌡️🧊 0°C / 100°C
Phase change temperatures
