Fulcher-8th Grade Science
Unit 1: 🔬 Matter and Energy
● 8.6E* investigate how mass is conserved in chemical reactions and relate conservation of
mass to the rearrangement of atoms using chemical equations, including photosynthesis
(Essential and Readiness)
Matter and energy. The student understands that matter can be classified
according to its properties and matter is conserved in chemical changes
that occur within closed systems.
(NEW) 🧪 Vocabulary Definitions (Chemical Reactions)
1. Coefficient
→ The number in front of a chemical formula in an equation.
○ It tells you how many molecules or atoms of that substance are involved.
○ Example: In 2H₂O, the “2” is the coefficient — it means 2 water molecules.
2. Chemical Equation
→ A way to show a chemical reaction using chemical formulas.
○ It shows what you start with (reactants) and what you end up with
(products).
○ Example: H₂ + O₂ → H₂O
3. Reactants
→ The starting substances in a chemical reaction — the ones that
react together.
○ They are on the left side of the chemical equation.
4. Products
→ The new substances made in a chemical reaction.
○ They are on the right side of the chemical equation.
5. Molecules
→ Two or more atoms joined together.
○ They can be the same kind of atoms (like O₂) or different (like H₂O).
6. Conservation of Mass
→ The idea that mass is not lost or gained in a chemical reaction.
○ The mass of the reactants equals the mass of the products.
Fulcher-8th Grade Science
7. Closed System
→ A system where nothing can enter or leave — so no matter is lost.
○ This helps prove conservation of mass during experiments.
Key Concepts
1. What is Matter?
● Matter is anything that has mass and takes up space.
● Everything around you is made of matter – solids, liquids, and gases.
2. Classifying Matter by Its Properties
● Matter can be grouped based on:
○ Physical properties like color, texture, size, shape, state (solid, liquid, gas),
melting/boiling point, and density.
○ Chemical properties like how it reacts with other substances (e.g., flammability,
rusting).
3. Chemical Changes in Closed Systems
● A chemical change is when a substance changes into something new (e.g., baking a
cake, rusting iron).
● In a closed system, nothing enters or leaves – everything stays inside.
● Law of Conservation of Matter: Matter is not created or destroyed in a chemical
change.
○ This means the total amount of matter stays the same before and after a
chemical reaction.
💡 Example:
If you mix vinegar and baking soda in a sealed bag, it will bubble and form gas. But the
total mass stays the same – the matter just changed form.
(OLD)🔑 Vocabulary Definitions
1. Matter
→ Anything that has mass and takes up space (like air, water, people, or
rocks).
Fulcher-8th Grade Science
2. Mass
→ The amount of stuff (matter) in an object. It's measured in grams or
kilograms.
3. Physical Property
→ A characteristic you can see or measure without changing what the
substance is (like color, shape, size, or state of matter).
4. Chemical Property
→ A characteristic that describes how a substance can change into
something new (like if it can burn or rust).
5. Chemical Change
→ A change where a new substance is made. You can't easily get the original
materials back (like baking a cake or burning wood).
6. State of Matter
→ The form something is in: solid, liquid, gas, or sometimes plasma.
7. Subscript
→ The small number written below and to the right of an element’s symbol in a
chemical formula.
○ It tells how many atoms of that element are in the molecule.
○ Example: In H₂O, the “2” is the subscript — there are 2 hydrogen atoms.
8. Atoms
→ The smallest building blocks of matter.
○ Everything is made of atoms!
9. Chemical Change
→ A change where a new substance is formed with different properties.
○ Example: Burning wood or rusting metal.
10. Chemical Reaction
→ The process where one or more substances (reactants) change into new
substances (products).
● Evidence: Color change, Gas production, Temperature change, Formation of a precipitate,
Fulcher-8th Grade Science
New smell or odor, Light or sound is produced
○ It involves breaking and forming chemical bonds.
11. Chemical Formula
→ A way to show what elements and how many atoms are in a substance.
○ Example: H₂O (2 hydrogen, 1 oxygen)
12. Periodic Table
→ A chart of all known elements, organized by their properties.
○ It helps scientists understand how elements behave and interact.
13. Elements
→ A pure substance made of only one kind of atom.
○ Example: Oxygen (O), Hydrogen (H), Gold (Au)
14. Compound
→ A substance made of two or more different elements that are chemically
bonded together.
● Example: Water (H₂O) is a compound made of hydrogen and oxygen.
● The elements in a compound combine in fixed amounts and cannot be separated
easily.
15. Properties
→ The characteristics used to describe matter.
○ Can be physical (color, size, boiling point) or chemical (flammability,
reactivity).
