1. MCAS Science Review
Physical Science
Properties of Objects and Materials
States of Matter
Forms of Energy

2. Properties of Objects
Objects have many observable properties, including size, weight, shape, color, and
temperature. Those properties can be measured with tools such as rulers, balances, and
thermometers. Objects can exist in different states - solid, liquid, & gas.
Size – the physical dimensions of an object
Mass or Weight – the amount of material in an object; the pull of
gravity on the object; mass equals weight on Earth
Shape – the surface configuration or form
of an object
Color – the visible aspect of an object as caused by the light reflected
or emitted by it
Temperature – the hotness or coldness of an object

3. Properties of Materials
Objects can be made of one or more materials, such as paper, wood, and
metal. The properties of these materials include color, texture, hardness.
Solid materials have physical and chemical properties, such as density, melting and
boiling temperature, hardness, expansion, conductivity, and acoustic/sound-related
properties. It is important to select objects made out of materials that have properties
appropriate for whatever the object is intended to do.
If you made a thermometer out of materials that melted before you could measure
boiling or cracked before measuring freezing, the thermometer wouldn’t be very useful.
Which of the watches shown below is made of appropriate materials?

4. Properties of Objects and Materials
This table lists some of the properties of objects and materials. How are properties of
objects and materials similar and different?
Properties of Objects Properties of Materials
size or volume density
mass or weight hardness
shape flexibility
temperature color
melting/boiling points
conductivity
magnetism
expansion ability

5. How can two objects be the same, yet different?
Many cube-shaped objects are shown in the box below. The cubes are all objects of the
same size and shape. Because they are made from different materials, the cubes will
have different weights.
The cubes will also have other different characteristics, based on the materials from
which they are made. One cube might conduct electricity, another might be magnetic.
These characteristics are based on the properties of the materials from which the cubes
are made.

6. States of Matter
Matter occurs in three states: solid, liquid, and gas.
Gas: The atoms or molecules have so much energy that
they fly in all directions and hit and bounce off of other
molecules.
Liquid: The atoms or molecules have enough energy to
break apart the rigid lattice structure of a solid, but they do
not have enough energy to separate completely from
other atoms and become a gas.
Solid: The atoms and molecules are locked into their
crystal lattice positions and can only vibrate. They cannot
move freely.
State Change: Energy in the form of heat is taken away to
allow the atoms and molecules to move from gas to liquid
to solid. Heat energy is added to move from solid to liquid
to gas.

7. What is heat?
Heat is the vibration and movement of the atoms and molecules in substances. When an object is
heated up, its atoms and molecules move and collide faster.
Every substance has temperatures at which the addition or removal of heat can cause the
substance to change its state.

8. State Changes of Water
Water boils at 212oF (100oC) and freezes at 32oF (0oC).
(Water vapor is gas
really invisible.)
Removing liquid Adding
heat heat
energy energy
solid

9. Forms of Energy
Energy is found in different forms including light, heat, chemical, and motion. There
are many forms of energy, but they can all be put into two categories: potential
energy and kinetic energy.
Potential energy is stored energy and the energy of position or gravitational energy.
There are several forms of potential energy:
• chemical energy
• mechanical energy
• nuclear energy
• gravitational energy
Kinetic energy is motion of waves, electrons, atoms, molecules, substances, and
objects. Forms of kinetic energy are:
• light, or radiant energy
• heat, or thermal energy
• motion energy
• electrical energy
• sound energy

10. Forms of Energy
Types of energy that involve motion include:
light – a natural or artificial bright form of energy that
can be seen with the eyes
sound – a vibration that travels through a substance,
such as air, and can be heard
heat – a form of energy that is caused by the motion of
molecules in a substance; more motion causes more
heat and higher temperature
electricity – a form of energy that is produced by the
movement of electrons or other atomic particles
magnetism – the force that is produced by a magnetic
field, which is the area around a magnet in which
objects can be affected by the force of the magnet

11. How does energy cause motion or create
change?
Some forms of energy can create motion, like wind energy
moving a windmill.
Heat energy can cause enough motion in the atoms or
molecules of a substance to change the state change from
water to steam that turns a paddle wheel.
Mechanical energy can release a spring or move a lever.
Electrical energy in a light bulb can create light and heat.

12. Forms of Energy
How is energy transferred from one form to another?
Energy cannot be created or destroyed, but it can be changed into different forms
of energy. Some energy transformations and the devices that create them include:
telephone -- sound to electricity to sound
electromagnet -- electricity to electromagnetism
light bulb – electricity to light and heat
generator – electromagnetic energy causes kinetic/motion
energy that creates electricity
boiling – heat energy creates a state change from liquid to gas
power plant – chemical, mechanical, nuclear, or other forms of
energy creates electricity

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