Living & Non-Living Things 1 – JSS1 Basic Science Lesson Note (First Term)

Matter is anything that has mass and occupies space. Examples are stone, sand, water, biro and air. Matter is either living, meaning it has life in it, such as a goat, man or plant, or non-living, such as a stone, chair or book. It exists as a solid, a liquid or a gas.

Behavioural objectives

By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

1. define matter and give examples;
2. state the properties of matter;
3. classify matter into living and non-living matter;
4. describe the solid, liquid and gaseous states of matter, with examples;
5. explain evaporation, condensation, boiling and melting.

What is matter?

Matter is anything that has mass and occupies space. Examples are stone, sand, water, biro, air, etc. All matter is made up of tiny particles called atoms.

What are the properties of matter?

1. Matter occupies space.
2. Matter has mass.
3. Matter is made up of particles.
4. Matter exists as solids, liquids or gases.

How is matter classified?

Matter can be classified into two major types:

1. Living matter: This refers to things that have life in them, e.g. goat, man, lion, plant, etc.
2. Non-living matter: This refers to things that have no life in them, e.g. stone, water, chair, book, etc.

What are the states of matter?

Matter exists in three main states. These are:

1. Solid state
2. Liquid state
3. Gaseous state

Solid state

In the solid state, the particles are held in a fixed position. They are arranged regularly and hence have a fixed or definite shape. The particles are held together by a strong force of attraction. Examples are wood, stone, nails, books, chairs, etc.

Liquid state

In the liquid state, the particles are not in a fixed position like those of solids. The particles can move about but are still restricted by the wall of the container. The force of attraction between the particles is weak, hence liquids flow. A liquid takes the shape of its container. Examples are water, petrol, groundnut oil, etc.

Gaseous state

In the gaseous state, the particles are wide apart and move about easily at very high speeds. This makes it easy to compress a large volume of gas into a small volume. Examples are air, oxygen, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, etc.

What is change of state?

Change of state is the process by which matter changes from solid to liquid, liquid to gas, or vice versa.

Evaporation

This is the process by which a substance in the liquid state changes to gas or vapour. It takes place at normal atmospheric conditions and at any temperature.

Condensation

This is the change from gas to liquid.

Boiling

This is the rapid vaporisation of a liquid which occurs when the liquid is heated to its boiling point. It occurs at a fixed temperature. The temperature at which a liquid boils is called the boiling point. The boiling point of water is 100°C.

Melting

This is the process by which a substance changes from a solid state to a liquid state with the application of heat. The particular temperature at which the solid melts is called the melting point.

Evaluation

1. What is matter?
2. How many states of matter do we have? Mention them.
3. Mention three examples each under the three states of matter.

Assignment

1. Give two examples each of living matter and non-living matter.
2. Explain evaporation and condensation.
3. What is the boiling point of water?