Drawing Particle Diagrams
Draw and interpret particle diagrams — dot representations showing the arrangement, spacing, and movement of particles in solids (close, regular, vibrating in place), liquids (close, random, flowing past each other), and gases (widely spaced, moving rapidly in all directions) — and use these diagrams to explain observable properties such as fixed shape, fixed volume, and compressibility
Typical age: 7–11 years
“If your child's science teacher draws a diagram with dots packed tightly in rows versus dots spread far apart and moving around, can your child tell you which represents a solid and which a gas — and explain why, using the particles?”
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Nothing — this is a great starting point!
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- The Particle ModelREQUIRED
Using the particle model to explain density, compressibility, and anomalous expansion requires fluent reading and drawing of particle diagrams
- How Materials Change State
Explaining changes of state using the particle model draws on particle diagram literacy
- Heating & Cooling ChangesREQUIRED
Observing and describing change of state requires reading particle diagrams showing how arrangement changes on heating or cooling
- Matter Is Made of ParticlesREQUIRED
Developing a model of matter as particles too small to see is built on the particle diagram representation
- Solids, Liquids & GasesREQUIRED
Comparing and grouping solids, liquids, and gases by properties is greatly aided by the particle diagram representation