Matter & its changes
What matter & its changes means
You learn how matter can exist as solids, liquids and gases, and how it can change from one form to another. You also distinguish physical change from chemical change by looking for new substances, such as when wood burns.
What you will practise
- Identify solids, liquids and gases from simple examples
- Name changes such as melting, freezing, boiling and sublimation
- Spot mixtures and decide whether they can be separated physically
- Tell physical change from chemical change using clear evidence
- Match substances to their correct type, such as element or mixture
Before you start
You should already be able to describe common materials and their basic properties. It also helps to know simple particle ideas and everyday changes like heating and cooling.
Not confident yet? Work through Forces & energy first.
Worked example
One question from this skill's own question bank, shown with its full working.
The change of a solid directly into a gas is called:
- Melting
- Evaporation
- Sublimation
- Condensation
Working: Sublimation is a solid changing directly to a gas without becoming liquid.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Treating every change as chemical, when many changes are only physical.
- Forgetting that sublimation is solid to gas without becoming liquid first.
- Confusing a mixture with a compound, especially when substances are simply combined.
- Saying an element is any pure substance, instead of one made of one kind of atom.
Curriculum and exam alignment
This topic normally appears in SHS Integrated Science when learners study states of matter, separation of mixtures and simple reactions. It also supports WASSCE-style questions that ask you to classify changes and identify substances from their properties.
Curriculum notes are a general guide to where this work normally sits. Always check the syllabus your school or examination body is currently using.
Related skills
Other SHS Integrated Science: Forces, Energy & Matter skills in Science, at the same point in the course.
Other Science topics
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Exams that assess matter & its changes
Senior High work on this skill feeds directly into these exam papers. Each page lists the Science topics that appear on it.
How this page was produced
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Practise matter & its changes
6 questions with a worked answer after every attempt, and a SmartScore that tracks how close you are to mastery.