Melting: melting points and freezing points
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can measure the melting point and freezing point of a substance.
Key learning points
- When it melts, a substance changes from the solid state to the liquid state.
- When it freezes, a substance changes from the liquid state to the solid state.
- At temperatures below its melting point, a substance is in its solid state.
- At temperatures above its freezing point, a substance is in its liquid state.
- The melting point and freezing point of a pure substance are the same temperature.
Keywords
Liquid state - Substances in the liquid state will take the shape of their container.
Solid state - Particles in a substance in a solid state are in a fixed position and can only vibrate.
Melting point - The melting point of a substance is the temperature at which it changes from a solid state to a liquid state.
Freezing point - The freezing point is the temperature at which a substance changes from a liquid state to a solid state.
Common misconception
Some pupils can't understand that substances can change from one state to another state.
Ensure that the language used is solid state, liquid state and gas state, not solid, liquid and gas.
Teacher tip
Have a beaker with ice in, this will melt over the lesson and allow pupils to visualise a substance melting, ask pupils how they would get the ice back to allow them to demonstrate their understanding of freezing.
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What are the three states of matter?
Q2.In which state of matter are particles in a fixed position and can only vibrate?
Q3.Which state of matter takes the shape of its container?
Q4.What is the temperature at which water freezes? ℃ (enter only a number)
Q5.Arrange the following transitions in the order they would occur when heating a substance:
Q6.What is the primary reason that a substance in the solid state does not flow like a substance in the liquid state?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Match each word to the correct statement
Q2.At what point is a substance in its solid state?
Q3.Arrange the following phases in the order they occur when a substance is cooled:
Q4.The melting point and freezing point of a substance are .
Q5.If a substance has a melting point of 50°C, at what temperature will it freeze?
Q6.A substance has a melting/freezing point of 25°C. If a sample of this substance is in a container at 25°C, which of the following statements is most accurate?
To help you plan your 7 science lesson on: Melting: melting points and freezing points, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 7 science lesson on: Melting: melting points and freezing points, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 3 science lessons from the Solid, liquid, gas states and changes of state unit, dive into the full secondary science curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.