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States of Matter - Changes of State (Melting, Boiling, Evaporation)

Grade 6IGCSE

Review the key concepts, formulae, and examples before starting your quiz.

🔑Concepts

Matter is made of tiny particles. The three states of matter are SolidSolid, LiquidLiquid, and GasGas.

Melting (Fusion) is the process where a SolidSolid turns into a LiquidLiquid. This occurs when heat energy is absorbed, causing particles to vibrate faster until they break free from their fixed positions.

The Melting Point is the specific temperature at which a solid becomes a liquid, such as 0C0^\circ C for pure ice (H2OH_2O).

Boiling is the rapid change from LiquidLiquid to GasGas occurring throughout the liquid at a specific temperature called the Boiling Point (TbT_b). For water, Tb=100CT_b = 100^\circ C at standard pressure.

Evaporation is the change from LiquidLiquid to GasGas that occurs only at the surface of a liquid. Unlike boiling, it can happen at any temperature below the boiling point.

Factors affecting evaporation include surface area (AA), temperature (TT), and wind speed. Increasing these factors increases the rate of evaporation.

During a change of state (e.g., melting or boiling), the temperature of the substance remains constant (ΔT=0\Delta T = 0) because the energy is used to overcome intermolecular forces rather than increasing the kinetic energy of the particles.

📐Formulae

Q=m×LQ = m \times L

Rate of EvaporationSurface Area (A)Rate \ of \ Evaporation \propto Surface \ Area \ (A)

H2O(s)MeltingH2O(l)BoilingH2O(g)H_2O_{(s)} \xrightarrow{Melting} H_2O_{(l)} \xrightarrow{Boiling} H_2O_{(g)}

💡Examples

Problem 1:

Compare Boiling and Evaporation for a sample of H2OH_2O. State two key differences.

Solution:

  1. Boiling occurs at a fixed temperature (100C100^\circ C for water), while evaporation occurs at all temperatures. 2. Boiling happens throughout the liquid (bubbles form), while evaporation only happens at the surface.

Explanation:

Boiling is a bulk phenomenon requiring a specific energy threshold, whereas evaporation is a surface phenomenon where only high-energy molecules escape.

Problem 2:

A beaker of ice is heated. A thermometer shows the temperature stays at 0C0^\circ C even though heat is being added. Why?

Solution:

The heat energy is being used as 'Latent Heat' to break the bonds between the H2OH_2O molecules.

Explanation:

In a state change, the energy provided does not increase the temperature (Average Kinetic EnergyAverage \ Kinetic \ Energy). Instead, it increases the Potential EnergyPotential \ Energy of the particles to change the state from solid to liquid.

Changes of State (Melting, Boiling, Evaporation) Revision - Grade 6 Science IGCSE