Unit A: Mix & Flow of Matter

Vocabulary study guide covering lab safety, WHMIS symbols, classification of matter, particle model, changes of state, solubility, viscosity, density, buoyancy, pressure, Pascal's law, and fluid systems.

WHMIS

Stands for Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System; a standardized system providing safety and hazard information about chemicals and materials.

Gas Cylinder Symbol

A WHMIS hazard symbol designating gases under pressure, which may explode if heated, dropped, or punctured.

Flame Symbol

A WHMIS hazard symbol designating flammable materials that can easily catch fire when exposed to sparks, friction, or heat.

Flame Over Circle Symbol (Oxidizer)

A WHMIS hazard symbol designating materials that release oxygen, which can cause other materials to burn violently or explode.

Skull & Crossbones Symbol (Acute Toxicity)

A WHMIS hazard symbol indicating substances that can cause immediate, severe health damage or death if swallowed, inhaled, or absorbed through the skin.

Health Hazard Symbol

A WHMIS hazard symbol identifying substances that may cause serious long-term health complications, such as cancer, mutations, or respiratory allergies.

Exclamation Mark Symbol

A WHMIS hazard symbol indicating materials that cause less severe health damage, such as skin irritation, drowsiness, or minor allergic reactions.

Corrosion Symbol

A WHMIS hazard symbol identifying materials that cause severe skin burns, eye damage, and can chemically destroy metals.

Exploding Bomb Symbol

A WHMIS hazard symbol indicating highly unstable materials that can explode due to shock, friction, heat, or chemical reactions.

Environment Symbol

A WHMIS hazard symbol for substances that are toxic to aquatic ecosystems and wildlife with long-lasting negative effects.

Fluid

Any substance that can flow and take the shape of its container because its particles are free to move or slide past one another; includes both liquids and gases.

Pure Substance

Matter made up of only one type of particle with fixed, constant physical and chemical properties (e.g., distilled water, pure gold, copper, oxygen gas).

Element

A pure substance that cannot be broken down into simpler parts by any chemical means (e.g., Carbon, Iron, Hydrogen).

Compound

A pure substance formed when two or more elements chemically combine in fixed, definite proportions (e.g., Water, Table Salt, Carbon Dioxide).

Mixture

A combination containing two or more different pure substances physically combined together without chemical bonds.

Homogeneous Mixture (Solution)

A mixture where the different substances are perfectly blended so that it looks uniform throughout and only one phase is visible (e.g., sugar dissolved in water, apple juice, clean air, brass).

Heterogeneous Mixture (Mechanical)

A mixture where the distinct components remain completely visible and contain two or more distinct phases (e.g., pizza, sand and water, oil and vinegar dressing).

Suspension

A heterogeneous mixture containing large particles that will slowly settle out over time if left undisturbed (e.g., muddy water, fresh orange juice with pulp).

Colloid

A heterogeneous mixture with tiny particles evenly distributed that are too small to settle out quickly (e.g., milk, fog, mayonnaise, whipped cream).

Particle Model of Matter

A scientific model built on five principles: all matter is made of tiny particles; all particles in a pure substance are identical; particles have spaces between them; particles are in continuous motion (moving faster with increased temperature); and particles are attracted to one another.

Solid

A state of matter where particles are locked closely together in a rigid, fixed arrangement with strong attractive forces, vibrating only in place, giving it a definite shape and volume.

Liquid

A state of matter where particles are close together but have enough kinetic energy to slide and roll past one another, giving it a definite volume but an indefinite shape.

Gas

A state of matter where particles possess extremely high energy, very weak attractive forces, and huge spaces between them, bouncing rapidly in all directions to fill their container with indefinite shape and volume.

Melting

The change of state from solid to liquid caused by the addition of heat energy.

Freezing / Solidification

The change of state from liquid to solid caused by the removal of heat energy.

Evaporation / Vaporization

The change of state from liquid to gas caused by the addition of heat energy.

Condensation

The change of state from gas to liquid caused by the removal of heat energy.

Sublimation

The direct change of state from solid to gas caused by the addition of heat energy without becoming a liquid first.

Deposition

The direct change of state from gas to solid caused by the removal of heat energy without becoming a liquid first.

Solute

The substance that dissolves into the solvent in a solution (e.g., sugar crystals).

Solvent

The substance in a solution that dissolves the solute (e.g., water, often called the 'Universal Solvent').

Concentration

The precise mass of solute dissolved in a specific volume of solution (e.g., grams per $100\,\text{mL}$).

Unsaturated Solution

A solution that is still capable of dissolving more solute at its current temperature.

Saturated Solution

A stable solution that has dissolved the absolute maximum amount of solute possible at that specific temperature.

Supersaturated Solution

An unstable state where a solution holds more dissolved solute than it normally should at that temperature, created by heating, fully saturating, and cooling undisturbed.

Viscosity

A fluid's internal resistance to flow or internal friction, determining whether it flows quickly or slowly.

Flow Rate

The speed at which a fluid travels over a fixed distance per unit of time ($\text{Rate} = \frac{\text{distance}}{\text{time}}$), which shares an inverse relationship with viscosity.

Density

A physical characteristic property defined as the mass of a substance contained within a unit of volume ($d = \frac{m}{V}$), expressing how tightly packed particles are.

Average Density

The total combined mass of an object divided by its total combined volume, which allows heavy objects like steel ships to float when hollow spaces trap air.

Buoyant Force

The net upward force exerted by any fluid on an object completely or partially submerged inside it, which directly opposes gravity.

Archimedes' Principle

The principle stating that the magnitude of the upward buoyant force acting on an object is exactly equivalent to the total weight of the fluid that the object displaces.

Neutral Buoyancy

A state where the gravitational force equals the buoyant force (object density equals fluid density), causing an object to hover stationary at its depth.

Force

Any push or pull action exerted on an object, measured in Newtons ($\text{N}$), and related to weight via $\text{Weight} = \text{Mass} \times 9.8\,\text{N/kg}$.

Pressure

The measure of how a force is distributed over a specific surface area perpendicular to the surface ($P = \frac{F}{A}$), measured in Pascals ($\text{Pa}$).

Pascal ($\text{Pa}$)

The standard SI unit for pressure, where $1\,\text{Pa} = 1\,\text{N/m}^2$, often expressed in kilopascals ($1\,\text{kPa} = 1000\,\text{Pa}$).

Pascal's Law

The principle stating that external pressure applied to a fully enclosed fluid is transmitted completely undiminished in every direction throughout the entire fluid ($\frac{F_1}{A_1} = \frac{F_2}{A_2}$).

Hydraulics

Fluid systems that use confined, incompressible liquids (such as oil or water) to transmit large forces instantly, smoothly, and with high power.

Pneumatics

Fluid systems that use confined, compressed gases (typically filtered air) that absorb shock and buffer forces, though exhibiting a slight delay in action.