Expansion and Contraction Flashcards
What happens when you cool a substance
When a substance is COOLED its particles will lose ENERGY. This causes the particles to move SLOWER. If they move slower they will take up LESS SPACE. If all of the particles take up less space, the substance will CONTRACT.
What happens when you heated a substance
When a substance is HEATED its particles will gain ENERGY. This causes the particles to move FASTER. If they move faster they will take up MORE SPACE. If all of the particles take up more space, the substance will EXPAND.
which state of matter expands the least
SOLID particles expand the LEAST out of the three states of matter. This is because solid particles are close together and have a STRONG force of attraction with each other. This means that you have to add a lot of HEAT for a solid to expand visibly because the particles want to stay together.
which state of matter expands the most
GAS particles expand the MOST out of the three states of matter. This is because gas particles are far apart and have a WEAK force of attraction with each other. This means that very little HEAT will cause a gas to expand visibly because there is little holding the particles together.
