PARTICULATE NATURE OF MATTER

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 Particulate Nature Of Matter
• Matter is anything that occupies space and has mass.
• Matter is not continuous but it is made up of every tiny
particles hence participate nature of matter.
• Particulate nature of matter therefore refers to the
existence of matter in very tiny particles.
• Experiment to demonstrate that Matter is made up of Tiny Particles
Use of a Piece of Paper
• A piece of paper can be cut continuously until when the
small pieces cannot be cut into pieces any further. This
suggests that the sheet of paper is made of tiny pieces of
paper. Hence matter is made up of tiny particles.

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 Dilution Potassium Permanganate Solution

Observation
The process of dilution can continue until the solution appears
colourless. This suggests that the particles of potassium
permanganate are spread out evenly on the water. Through each
dilution process, the particles spread out further. As water particles
increase, the particles of potassium permanganate are spread further,
making the purple colour less and less deep until it appears
colourless.
Conclusion
Potassium permanganate is made up of tiny particles.
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 Dissolving a solvent in water

Observation
From figure (b), the volume of the solution of salt is less than the volume in
figure (a).
Conclusion
Particles of salt dissolve and are able to occupy some spaces between the
water particles. This suggests that the particles of water and the particles of
salt differ in size. The particles of the solution pack more closely in the
available space, thus reducing the volume. This further suggests that the
particles of salt are broken down to fit into the spaces between the water
particles.
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 Brownian motion in liquids
• Consider the setup below in which Pollen grains are sprinkled on
the surface of water in the beaker and the beaker covered using a
transparent lid and observed using a magnifying hand lens.

Pollen
Invisible water
grains
molecules

• The pollen grains are observed to be in constant random motion.

This is due to the continuous collision of pollen grains with the
invisible water molecules which are in continuous random
motion. This motion is called Brownian motion
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 Smoke cell experiment
The smoke is introduced into the Smoke particles appears as
smoke cell by burning the straw and bright specks moving
continuously and randomly
letting the smoke fill the smoke cell
due to hitting of smaller
from the other end. Smoke is used
unseen/invisible particles of
here because smoke particles are light,
air.
and bright when illuminated. Increasing the temperature
increases the kinetic energy
of the air particles which
The microscope magnifies the
increases the collisions with
illuminated smoke particles clearly. smoke particles hence speed
of the particles/ specks
The lens focuses increases
the light from the
lamp into the
smoke cell.

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 States of matter

Solid Liquid Gas

The molecules that The molecules that make The molecules that
make up a solid are up a liquid flow easily make up a gas fly
arranged in regular, around one another. In all directions at
repeating patterns. They are kept from great speeds. They
They are held firmly flying apart by attractive are so far apart that
in place but can forces between them. the attractive forces
vibrate within a Liquids assume the between them are
limited area. shape of their insignificant.
containers.
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 Diffusion in Liquids

Observation and explanation.

Initially, the water layer floats on top of the saturated copper (II) sulphate
solution because it is less dense. After sometime, the boundary disappears
and the two liquids form a homogenous pale blue mixture.
Formation of the mixture is faster with hot liquids because the movement
of particles is faster due to increased energy. There is greater movement of
water particles (molecules) from the water layer into the copper(II) sulphate
layer because it has greater concentration of water molecules than copper
(II) sulphate.

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 Diffusion in Gases
air Bromine gas Bromine gas

B A
Fig a glass jars Fig (b)

Observation and explanation

The bromine gas spreads into the gas jar B at a greater speed than it
returns to gas jar A because of high concentration of bromine particles.
Likewise air spreads into gas jar A at greater rate than it returns to B
because of high concentration of air particles in B. as shown in figure (b), a
homogenous pale brown mixture forms in the two jars and because this happens
in a very short time, it suggests that the random movement of the particles is
more rapid in gases than diffusion in liquids. Performing the same experiment
with the jars held vertically instead of horizontally slows down the rate of
diffusion because of the different densities of the gases. The less dense gas
diffuses much faster into the more dense gas.
The characteristic smell of cooking gas used in laboratories can be
detected when there is a leakage. This is because gas diffuses into the air.
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 Diffusion in Liquids and gases

Diffusion in solids is exceedingly slow, but occurs when two metals

are placed in contact with each other, e.g., lead and gold metal blocks.
Vibrating atoms break away from the substance to which they
belong and enter the other substance to be trapped by its attractive forces.
This process is speeded up by high temperatures.
Diffusion in liquids occurs at a faster rate than in solids. Diffusion
in gases is faster due to their low density, high kinetic energy of their
molecules and low cohesive forces.

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 Rates of Diffusion in gases

When the gases meet, they react to form a ring of ammonium chloride which
is closer to one end of the tube than the other.

Which gases particles diffuse faster, ammonia or acid and why?

By the time the gases meet, the ammonia particles have travelled
further down the tube so they must have diffused at a faster speed.
NB: Ammonia gas is less dense than Hcl gas. If the experiment is
repeated at a higher room temperature the gases meet faster but at the
same spot
AGHS PHYSICS 2017 11
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 Diffusion through porous materials

Fig 5.13

The porous pot has very fine holes through which the hydrogen gas diffuses
into the pot and air diffuses out. The hydrogen gas bubbles out of the glass
tube as shown in the diagram. When the gas supply is stopped, the
hydrogen gas diffuses out of the pot through the fine hole at a faster rate
than air gets back in the pot. This decreases the gas pressure in the pot,
compelling the atmospheric pressure acting on the water surface in the
beaker to push water up the tube.
Note:
The beaker in (a) is for confining the hydrogen gas around the porous pot.

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