GCSE Science (Synergy Foundation) AQA

This subject is broken down into 158 topics in 9 modules:

  1. Building Blocks 19 topics
  2. Transport over Larger Distances 15 topics
  3. Interactions with the Environment 24 topics
  4. Explaining Change 25 topics
  5. Building Blocks for Understanding 9 topics
  6. Interactions over Small and Large Distances 17 topics
  7. Movement and Interactions 33 topics
  8. Guiding Spaceship Earth towards a Sustainable Future 13 topics
  9. Key Ideas 3 topics
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  • 9
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  • 158
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  • 43,478
    words of revision content
  • 5+
    hours of audio lessons

This page was last modified on 28 September 2024.

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Science (Synergy Foundation)

Building Blocks

States of Matter: A Particle Model

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States of Matter: A Particle Model

  • Particles exist in all matter; everything around you is made up of them!
  • The three core states of matter are solids, liquids and gases, each possessing unique characteristics.
  • In a solid, particles are tightly packed in a fixed structure, they vibrate but can't move from their position, hence explaining the solid's definite shape and volume.
  • For liquids, particles are not as tightly packed as solids; they're not held in a fixed structure and possess the freedom to move around one another. The liquid's volume is definite, but shape isn't; it conforms to the shape of the container in which it is placed.
  • The particles in a gas are much more spread out and move freely at high speeds in all directions. This explains why gases neither have a definite shape nor volume.
  • Changing the state of matter involves energy. When energy is added (for example, by heating), particles move more and cause the matter to change states- solid to liquid (melting), liquid to gas (evaporation).
  • If energy is lost (for example, by cooling), particles slow down, and the matter changes from gas to liquid (condensation) or liquid to solid (freezing).
  • The temperature at which matter changes from one state to another (melting point, boiling point, etc.) is specific to each substance and is consistent under the same conditions.
  • Brownian motion is a random motion observed in particles. It’s the erratic, random, zig-zag movement of microscopic particles in a fluid, as a result collisions with fast atoms or molecules in a gas or liquid.

Remember, practise using and interpreting particle models for solid, liquid and gas, as it can come up in your examinations. Differences in density, compressibility and motion should be familiarised and you should be able to explain how changes in energy can cause state changes.

Course material for Science (Synergy Foundation), module Building Blocks, topic States of Matter: A Particle Model

Science (Synergy Foundation)

Explaining Change

Evidence for Evolution

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Evidence for Evolution

Fossil Evidence

  • Fossils provide physical evidence of organisms that existed in the past.
  • Evolutionary sequences can often be observed in the fossil record.
  • The deeper a fossil is found, the older it usually is, reflecting changes in species over time.

Comparative Anatomy

  • Shared structural features, or homologies, can provide evidence for common ancestry.
  • Thus, similarities in bone structure (such as the similar limb structures in various mammals) suggest a common ancestor.

Biogeography

  • The distribution of species in space and time can indicate shared ancestry.
  • For example, geographic isolation often leads to the evolution of distinct species, as can be seen on islands.

Genetics and Embryology

  • Genetic similarities between species can be taken as a strong indication of common ancestry.
  • Similarities during the embryonic development across different species also suggest a common ancestor.

Natural Selection Observations

  • Evidence of evolution can be observed in the process of natural selection in real time.
  • For instance, the evolution of bacteria to become antibiotic resistant is a contemporary example of evolution through natural selection.

Course material for Science (Synergy Foundation), module Explaining Change, topic Evidence for Evolution

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