States of Matter and Phase Changes
- Gases have no mass: The belief that air or steam weighs nothing, or even has
“negative weight” because it floats. - Freezing must be cold: Thinking that “freezing” only happens at 0 degrees
celsius or below, not realizing that iron “freezes” into a solid at 1538 degrees
celsius. - Boiling bubbles are air: The idea that the bubbles in boiling water are made of
air or “heat,” rather than being water in the gaseous state (steam). - Evaporation only happens at 100 degrees celsius: Not realizing that
evaporation is a surface phenomenon that happens at any temperature. - Solids don’t move: The belief that particles in a solid are perfectly still, rather
than vibrating around a fixed point.