Take a look around the room. Everything you see is made up of matter.

Different types of matter have

different properties, or characteristics. Matter can be hard or soft, heavy or light. It can even be
invisible, like the air around you.
All matter is composed of one or more of 118 chemical elements. These substances are the building
blocks of everything in the universe--even you! The properties of matter depend on the elements it's
made of.
Elements have different properties too. Some elements are superlight, like lithium. Others, like neon,
can glow bright colors!
People use elements with different properties to create new things, from medicines to skyscrapers.
"Elements are like the world's best LEGO[R] set," says Bill Carroll, a chemistry professor at Indiana
University Bloomington.
Here are five elements you might meet in your daily life--and what makes them special.
GOLD
People have used gold for thousands of years to make precious objects. In ancient Egypt, some kings
and queens even had their tombs decorated with gold. Why?
One reason gold has long been considered valuable is that it stays shiny forever! Some elements
easily combine with others. They produce chemical reactions that form new substances like rust. Gold
doesn't react easily with other elements. That helps it stay shiny and looking new. "You can find gold
coins that have been in the ocean for centuries," says Susan Richardson, a chemist at the University
of South Carolina. "And they're just as shiny as when they fell in."
Lithium
Have you used a smartphone or laptop today? If so, you've probably come across lithium. This silvery
white metal is a key ingredient in rechargeable batteries.
Batteries made with lithium are much lighter than batteries made with other metals. In fact, lithium is
the lightest metal in the universe. That makes it perfect for electronics, says Daniel Mindiola, a
chemistry professor at the University of Pennsylvania. People don't want to lug around heavy
smartphones and laptops!
Sulfur
Yuck! What's that smell? Rotten eggs, garlic, and farts are all stinky because of the same element:
sulfur.
Sulfur is actually odorless by itself, but it's not often found that way. Sulfur easily reacts with other
elements. So people combine it with other substances to make useful products. Sulfur is used in
preservatives to keep food fresh. A chemical reaction involving sulfur causes fireworks to explode!
But you're more likely to run across sulfur in burps and farts, says Carroll. "That's just what sulfur
does for a living--it make things smell bad."
Helium
What keeps party balloons afloat? Inside those balloons is an element called helium. Helium is a gas at
room temperature--a very light gas. It has a lower density than oxygen and the other gases in the air.
That's why a balloon filled with helium will float away if you don't hold on to the string.
Helium is a liquid at super-cold temperatures. It's used to keep some machine parts cool. Without
helium, certain machines--such as MRI machines that make images of the body's insides--wouldn't
work!
Iron
People have long used iron to construct buildings. That's because it's a strong metal and one of the
most common elements on Earth.
But iron has one big limitation: When it's exposed to water and air, it rusts. Rust makes iron brittle.
So people have combined iron with other elements to make an alloy called stainless steel. That's a
type of metal that resists rust. Iron is also a key nutrient that helps your blood carry oxygen
throughout your body. That's why we need to eat foods rich in iron, like broccoli 4 and spinach.
words to know
matter--anything that takes up space
element--a substance with only one type of atom (units that make up matter)
chemical reaction--a change that produces new substances with different properties than the original
substances had
gas--an air-like state of matter that has no fixed shape
density--the amount of matter in a given space
alloy--a material made by mixing a metal with another substance
Rust Reaction
Which type of liquid causes iron to rust faster?
OBSERVE: Steel wool is made of an alloy that contains iron. When iron is exposed to water and
oxygen, it rusts.
ASK A RESEARCH QUESTION: Which liquid causes iron to rust faster: water or vinegar?
MATERIALS: 3 equal-sized pieces of steel wool * marker * 2 plastic cups * measuring cup * water *
vinegar * 3 paper plates * paper towels * timer * paper and pencil
PROCEDURE:
1. Examine your materials. How does the steel wool feel? What do the liquids smell like? Make a
prediction.
2. Use the marker to label your plastic cups A and B. Pour 1/2 cup of water in cup A and 1/2 cup of
vinegar in cup B.
3. Label your paper plates A, B, and C. Place one piece of steel wool on plate C. This will be your
control, or standard against which you will compare your results.
4. Dip one piece of steel wool in cup A. Squeeze the steel wool to remove the excess water, then place
it on plate A. Wipe your hands on a paper towel.
5. Repeat step 4 with the vinegar in cup B.
6. Mark the time and observe the steel wool pieces on each plate. What do they look like? Record your
observations.
7. Repeat step 6 after 10, 20, and 40 minutes.
RESULTS: Which piece of steel wool has the most rust? Record your results in a data table.
CONCLUSIONS:
1. Which liquid caused the steel wool to rust faster?
2. Vinegar is more acidic, or able to eat away at other substances, than water. How do you think
vinegar's acidity affects steel wool?
3. Imagine that you repeated the experiment but kept the steel wool submerged in the liquids. How
do you think the results would be different?
TAKE IT FURTHER: How do you think salt water might affect steel wool compared with fresh water?
Make a prediction, then repeat the investigation.
* Hands-On: Rust Reaction (Student Edition, p. 13)
1. The piece of steel wool dipped in vinegar rusted faster than the piece of steel wool dipped in water.
2. Vinegar eats away at the protective coating on steel wool, exposing the steel to oxygen in the air.
That speeds up the rusting process. 3. Answers will vary but should include that steel wool needs iron,
water, and oxygen to form rust. It would take longer for steel wool pads to rust if they stay
submerged in the liquids because there's not as much oxygen in the liquids as there is in the air. TAKE
IT FURTHER: Steel wool dipped in salt water would rust faster than steel wool dipped in fresh water.
Salt water eats away at metals, making them weak and causing them to fall apart.
In Your Element!
PAGES 10-13
READING LEVELS: Lexile 780 / Guided Reading Level T
NEED A LOWER READING LEVEL? To access this article at a lower reading level, go to
scholastic.com/superscience.
Objective
Understand the properties of matter to investigate what happens to the mass of matter when it is
heated. 4
STANDARDS
NGSS:
Core Idea: PS1.A: Structure and properties of matter
Practice: Planning and carrying out investigations
Crosscutting Concept: Energy and matter
COMMON CORE:
Reading Informational Text: 9. Integrate information from two texts. TEKS:
Science: 3.5A, A.5A, 5.5A, 6.5A ELA: 3.6H, 4.6H, 5.6H, 6.5H
Lesson Plan
(1) Watch a video about matter, and identify the properties of different items in the classroom.
Show the class the video "What Is Matter?," available at scholastic.com/superscience.
After watching the video, explain that properties of matter are characteristics that can be observed,
such as color, shape, texture, size, and luster (shininess). One by one, hold up several objects with
very different properties, such as: a piece of chalk, a cup of water, and a quarter. Have students
identify the properties of each object. Ask:
* Is this a liquid, a solid, or a gas?
* Is it large or small? Light or heavy?
(2) Read and discuss the article.
Have students read the article with a partner. Once all students have finished, ask: Which element!
have similar properties?
(3) Plan and carry out an investigation.
Divide students into small groups. Pass out the skills sheet "Measuring Mass" (T7) and the hands-on
materials. Explain that they will investigate if the mass of a solid will be the same or different than the
mass after it melts.
First, have students make observations and ask questions about the materials. Then give them time to
discuss with their groups how to conduct the investigation. Ask students probing questions, such as:
What do you notice about the properties of the materials?
Remind students that they can revise their steps as they perform their investigation.
(4) Communicate results using claims, evidence, and reasoning.
Have each group analyze their results using the Claim, Evidence, and Reasoning (CER) framework. A
CER chart is available in a text set at scholastic.com/supersclencc Allow groups to share their claims
and investigations with the class. Give students time to ask each group questions.
(5) Extend the lesson by investigating how iron rusts.
Explain that when two or more substances come together, sometimes they form new substances with
different properties. Have students work in their small groups to complete "Rust Reaction" on page 13
to investigate what happens when steel wool containing iron reacts with oxygen and water to form
rust.
TEACHING TOOLS available at scholastic.com/superscience
Skills sheets:
Measuring Mass (T7): Design an investigation to find out what happens to the mass of matter when
it's heated.
Precious Elements (online only): Use two sources to answer questions about elements you might
encounter in your daily life.
What Is Matter? (online only): Learn about matter, the stuff that makes up everything in the universe.
HANDS-ON INVESTIGATION
Measuring Mass
In "In Your Element!" (pp. 10-13), you read about how all matter is made of one or more elements.
Matter is anything that has mass and takes up space. In this hands-on activity, you will investigate
what happens to the mass of matter when it is heated.
Observe: There are three types of matter: solids, liquids, and gases. Different types of matter have
different properties.
Ask a research question: Will the mass of a solid be the same or different than the mass after it melts
into a liquid?
Materials: 2 microwave-safe containers * 4 ice cubes * stick of butter * scale * microwave * paper
towels * paper and pencil
Design a Procedure:
Think about how you can answer your research question using the materials provided. Write the steps
that you will complete below. (Add steps on the back of this paper if you need to.) Your procedure
should include measuring the mass of the ice cubes and the butter before and after melting them in
the microwave.
1. --
2. --
3. --
Investigate: Perform your procedure, writing down your observations and results as you go. Revise
your steps if needed. Remember: Follow your teacher's rules when using the microwave.
Results: What were the properties of the ice cubes and the butter before they melted in the
microwave? What were their properties after they melted? What were their masses before and after
they melted? Record your results and observations in the data table below.
INVESTIGATING MASS

Properties Mass of Properties Mass of

of solid solid of liquid liquid

Butter

Water
Conclusions:
1. Was the mass of the stick of butter the same or different when it melted into a liquid? What about
the mass of the ice cubes before and after melting?
2. Did any errors occur that might have affected the outcome of your investigation? If yes, explain.
* Measuring Mass (Reproducible, T7)
1. The masses for the butter and the ice cubes should be the same before and after melting. 2.
Answers will vary. Students might have spilled the liquids after microwaving, which would affect the
liquid mass results.