Tom's World
Tom is in his kitchen, preparing a cold drink on a warm summer day. He decides to make
a refreshing iced tea and starts by filling a glass with ice cubes from the
freezer. As he
watches the ice cubes melt, he reflects on the particle model of matter:
Tom begins by taking a few ice cubes out of the freezer. He notices that the ice cubes are
solid and have a defined shape and volume. He explains that in their solid state, the water
molecules in the ice are tightly packed together and arranged in a regular pattern.
Tom places the ice cubes in the glass and observes as they start to melt. He notices that
as the ice cubes come into contact with the warmer air and the glass, they gradually begin
to change from solid to liquid. He explains that the heat from the surroundings is
transferring energy to the ice cubes, causing the water molecules to gain enough kinetic
energy to overcome the attractive forces holding them together in the solid lattice.
As the ice cubes continue to melt, Tom observes that liquid water collects at the bottom
of the glass. He explains that in the liquid state, the water molecules are still close
together but have more freedom to move past one another. This illustrates another
aspect of the particle model: the ability of particles in a liquid to flow and take the shape
of their container.
Processing Questions:
o How does the behavior of the water molecules in the ice cubes change as they
transition from a solid to a liquid state?
how does the behavior of the water molecules in the ice cubes change as the transition from a solid to a liquid state?​