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Year 7

Melting: melting points and freezing points

I can measure the melting point and freezing point of a substance.

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New
New
Year 7

Melting: melting points and freezing points

I can measure the melting point and freezing point of a substance.

Download all resources
Share activities with pupils

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. When it melts, a substance changes from the solid state to the liquid state.
  2. When it freezes, a substance changes from the liquid state to the solid state.
  3. At temperatures below its melting point, a substance is in its solid state.
  4. At temperatures above its freezing point, a substance is in its liquid state.
  5. The melting point and freezing point of a pure substance are the same temperature.

Common misconception

Some students can't understand that substances can change from one state to another state.

Ensure that the language used is solid state, liquid state and gas state, not solid, liquid and gas.

Keywords

  • Liquid state - Substances in the liquid state will take the shape of their container.

  • Solid state - Particles in a substance in a solid state are in a fixed position and can only vibrate.

  • Melting point - The melting point of a substance is the temperature at which it changes from a solid state to a liquid state.

  • Freezing point - The freezing point is the temperature at which a substance changes from a liquid state to a solid state.

Have a beaker with ice in, this will melt over the lesson and allow students to visualise a substance melting, ask students how they would get the ice back to allow them to demonstrate their understanding of freezing.
Teacher tip

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
What are the three states of matter?
Hot, Cold, Warm
Water, Ice, Steam
Correct answer: Solid, Liquid, Gas
Q2.
In which state of matter are particles in a fixed position and can only vibrate?
Liquid state
Gas state
Correct answer: Solid state
Q3.
Which state of matter takes the shape of its container?
Gas state
Solid state
Correct answer: Liquid state
Q4.
What is the temperature at which water freezes? ℃ (enter only a number)
Correct Answer: 0, zero
Q5.
Arrange the following transitions in the order they would occur when heating a substance:
1 - The substance is in the solid state
2 - The substance melts
3 - The substance is in the liquid state
Q6.
What is the primary reason that a substance in the solid state does not flow like a substance in the liquid state?
The particles are too large
The particles are too small
Correct answer: The forces of attraction between particles are stronger

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Match each word to the correct statement
Correct Answer:liquid state,particles fill the shape of the container

particles fill the shape of the container

Correct Answer:solid state,particles are in a fixed position and can only vibrate

particles are in a fixed position and can only vibrate

Correct Answer:melting point,temperature of a substance changing from a solid to liquid

temperature of a substance changing from a solid to liquid

Correct Answer:freezing point,temperature of a substance changing from a liquid to solid

temperature of a substance changing from a liquid to solid

Q2.
At what point is a substance in its solid state?
Above its melting point
Correct answer: Below its melting point
Above its freezing point
Q3.
Arrange the following phases in the order they occur when a substance is cooled:
1 - The substance is in the liquid state
2 - The substance freezes
3 - The substance is in the solid state
Q4.
The melting point and freezing point of a substance are .
Correct Answer: the same, equal, equivalent
Q5.
If a substance has a melting point of 50°C, at what temperature will it freeze?
-10°C
0°C
48°C
Correct answer: 50°C
100°C
Q6.
A substance has a melting/freezing point of 25°C. If a sample of this substance is in a container at 25°C, which of the following statements is most accurate?
The substance must be entirely in the solid state.
The substance must be entirely in the liquid state.
Correct answer: The substance could be in the solid or liquid state, or both simultaneously.