CHEMISTRY

Class 9
Chapter 1 – Matter in Our Surroundings

In-text questions: page: 3

1. Which of the following are matter?

Chair, air, love, smell, hate, almonds, thought, cold, cold drink, smell of perfume.
Ans: The following substances are matter:
Chair, Air, Almonds, Cold drink, Smell of perfume

2. Give reasons for the following observation:

The smell of hot sizzling food reaches you several meters away, but to get the smell from cold
food you have to go close.
Ans: The particles of hot sizzling food have more kinetic energy and thus, diffuse rapidly in the air
as compared to cold food which possess low kinetic energy. Hence the smell of hot sizzling food
reaches a person even at a distance of several meters.

3. A diver is able to cut through water in a swimming pool. Which property of matter does
this observation show?
Ans: The diver is able to easily cut through the water in the swimming pool because of the weak
forces of attraction between water molecules. It is this property of water that attributes to easy
diving.

4. What are the characteristics of the particles of matter?

Ans: The characteristics of particles of matter are:
a) Particles of matter have space between them.
b) Particles of matter are continuously moving.
c) Particles of matter attract each other.

In-text questions: page: 6

1. The mass per unit volume of a substance is called density. (density=mass/volume).

Arrange the following in the order of increasing density – air, exhaust from the chimneys,
honey, water, chalk, cotton and iron.
Ans: The following substances are arranged in the increasing density:
Air < Exhaust from chimney < Cotton < Water < Honey < Chalk < Iron

2. Answer the following.

a) Tabulate the differences in the characteristics of matter.
b) Comment upon the following: rigidity, compressibility, fluidity, filling a gas container,
shape, kinetic energy and density.
Ans:
(a) The difference in the characteristics of the three states of matter.

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Solid Liquid Gas
It has no definite shape, but has
It has definite shape and definite volume. It takes the It has no definite shape or
volume shape of the container in which volume.
it is kept
It is compressible to a small
It is non compressible It is highly compressible
extent
It can flow from a higher level
It cannot flow It flows in all directions
to a lower level
The force of attraction between
The force of attraction
liquid particles is less than The force of attraction
between the particles is
solid particles but more than between the particles is least
highest
gas particles
Particles of solid cannot Gas particles are in a
Liquid particles move freely
move freely continuous random motion

b) i. Rigidity : It is the tendency of matter to resist a change in shape.

ii. Compressibility : It is the ability to be reduced to a lower volume when force is
applied.
iii. Fluidity : It is the ability of a substance to flow or move about freely.
iv. Filling the gas : It means the attainment of the shape of the container by the gas, as
container they do not have definite shape or volume.
v. Shape : It means a definite boundary.
vi. Kinetic energy : It is the energy possessed by a particle due to its motion. The
increasing order of kinetic energy possessed by various states of matter
are:
Solids < Liquids < Gases
vii. Density : It is the mass per unit volume of a substance.

3. Give reasons:
a) A gas fills completely the vessel in which it is kept.
b) A gas exerts pressure on the walls of the container.
c) A wooden table should be called a solid.
d) We can easily move our hand in the air but to do the same through a solid block of
wood we need a karate expert.
Ans:
a) There is less force of attraction between the particles of the gas. Thus gas particles move
freely in all directions. Therefore the gas particles fills completely the vessel in which it is
kept.
b) Gas molecules possess high kinetic energy, due to which they are under constant motion
inside the container in random directions which causes them to hit each other and also the
walls of the container with a force. Therefore gas exerts pressure on the walls of the
container.
c) A wooden table should be called a solid as it possesses all the properties of a solid such as:
 Definite size and shape
 Intermolecular attraction between closely packed particles.
 It is rigid and cannot be compressed.
d) Molecules in gases are loosely packed as compared to solid molecules which are densely
packed. Hence we are easily able to break the force of attraction when we move our hand
through air but it is difficult to break through a solid because of greater forces of attraction
between molecules, which a karate expert is able to do with the application of a lot of
force.

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4. Liquids generally have a lower density than solids. But you must have observed that ice
floats on water. Find out why.
Ans: Though ice is a solid, it has large number of empty spaces in its structure. These empty spaces
are larger compared to the spaces between the particles of water. For this reason, the volume of ice
is greater than that of water. Higher the volume, lesser will be the density. So ice floats in water.

In-text questions: page: 9

1. Convert the following temperature to Celsius scale:

a) 300K b) 573K
Ans:
a) 0°C=273K
300K= (300-273)°C = 27°C
b) 573K= (573-273)°C = 300°C

2. What is the physical state of water at:

a) 250°C b) 100°C ?
Ans:
a) At 250°C – Gaseous state, since it is beyond its boiling point.
b) At 100°C – It is at the transition state as the water is at its boiling point. Hence it would be
present in both liquid and gaseous state.

3. For any substance, why does the temperature remain constant during the change of state?
Ans: It is due to the latent heat. The heat supplied to increase the temperature of the substance is
utilised in changing the state by overcoming the forces of attraction between the particles .So the
temperature remains constant during the change of state.

4. Suggest a method to liquefy atmospheric gases.

Ans: We can liquefy gases by applying pressure and reducing temperature.

In-text questions: page: 10

1. Why does a desert cooler cool better on a hot dry day?

Ans: It is because the temperature is high and it is less humid on a hot dry day which enables better
evaporation. High levels of this evaporation provide better cooling effects.

2. How does the water kept in an earthen pot (matka) become cool during summer?
Ans: An earthen pot is porous in nature. These tiny pores facilitate penetration of water and hence
their evaporation from the pot surface. The process of evaporation requires energy which is
contributed by water in the pot as a result of which water turns cooler.

3. Why does our palm feel cold when we put on some acetone or petrol or perfume on it?
Ans: Acetone, petrol, and perfume are volatile substances that get evaporated very easily. The
particles gain energy from our palm and evaporate and hence leaving a cooling effect on our palms.

4. Why are we able to sip hot tea or milk faster from a saucer rather than a cup?
Ans: A saucer has a larger surface area than a cup which promotes quicker evaporation hence the
tea or milk in a saucer cools down faster.

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5. What type of clothes should we wear in summer?
Ans: In summer, we should wear cotton clothes as they absorb sweat from our body and exposes
the liquid to the atmosphere, making evaporation faster. During this evaporation, particles on the
surface gain energy from the body surface, making the body cool.

In-text questions: page: 12

1. Convert the following temperature to Celsius scale.

a) 293K b) 470K
Ans:
0°C=273K
a. 293K= (293 – 273)°C = 20°C
b. 470K= (470 – 273)°C = 197°C

2. Convert the following temperatures to the Kelvin scale.

a) 25°C b) 373°C
Ans:
0°C = 273K
a. 25°C = (25+273)K = 298K
b. 373°C = (373+273)K = 646K

3. Give reason for the following observations:

a) Naphthalene balls disappear with time without leaving any solid.
b) We can get the smell of perfume while sitting several metres away.
Ans:
a) At room temperature, naphthalene balls undergo sublimation. They directly get converted from
solid to gaseous state without changing into liquid state.

b) Gaseous particles possess high speed and large spaces between them. Particles of perfume
diffuse into these gaseous particles at a very fast rate and reach our nostrils. Hence we are able
to smell perfume sitting several metres away.

4. Arrange the following in increasing order of forces of attraction between the particles –
water, sugar, oxygen.
Ans:
Oxygen (gas) < water (liquid) < sugar (solid)

5. What is the physical state of water at –

a) 25°C (b) 0°C c) 100°C?
Ans:
a) At 25°C, the water will be in liquid form.
b) At 0°C, water can exist as both solid and liquid. At this temperature, ice starts changing into
water.
c) At 100°C, the water is at its boiling point, so water can exist both as liquid and gas.

6. Give two reasons to justify –

a) Water at room temperature is a liquid.
b) An iron almirah is a solid at room temperature.
Ans:
a) Transition in the states of matter of water occurs at 0°C and 100°C. At room temperature, water
is in the liquid state, thereby exhibiting all the properties of a liquid such as:

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 Water flows at this temperature
 It has a fixed volume and it takes the shape of its container
b) An iron almirah is a solid at room temperature because melting point of iron is higher than
room temperature and it is rigid and has fixed shape and volume.

7. Why is ice at 273K more effective in cooling than water at the same temperature?
Ans: Ice at 273K has less energy than water, although both are at the same temperature. Water
possesses the additional latent heat of fusion. Hence, at 273K, ice is more effective in cooling than
water.

8. What produces more severe burns, boiling water or steam?

Ans: Steam produces more severe burns than boiling water because steam has more energy than
water due to its latent heat of vaporisation.

9. Name A, B, C, D, E and F in the following diagram showing a change in its state.

Ans:
A: Melting (or) fusion
B: Evaporation
C: Condensation
D: Solidification
E: Sublimation
F: Sublimation

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