p4 Sa1 Science Notes

P4 SA1 SCIENCE NOTES
MATTER
All living things and non-living things are made up of matter.

Matter has is anything that
o Has mass, and
Mass is the amount of matter contained in a body or object.
Mass can be measured in kilogrammes or grammes.
o Occupies space.
Eg. of matter:
o Table
o Dog
o Air
Eg. of non-matter:
o Heat
o Shadow
o Light
Mass is not the same as weight.
o Weight changes with location depending on the gravitational pull.
o Mass never changes.
Expt: Tissue in inverted glass does not get wet when the glass is submerged
into a basin of water because air is occupying the space in the glass, and the
water cannot enter the glass.
Water
Tissue remains
Matter exists in 3 states:
o Solid
Definite shape
Definite volume -> cannot be compressed
Eg. Stone, sand, sugar.
o Liquid
No definite shape -> takes the shape of the container it is poured
in
Definite volume -> cannot be compressed
Eg. Water, oil.
o Gas
No definite shape -> takes the shape of its container

No definite volume -> can be compressed
Eg. Hydrogen, water vapour, oxygen, steam.
Question: Container filled with 400 cubic centimetres of air has
100 cubic centimetres of air pumped in. Amount of air in the
container is still 400 cubic centimetres.
PLANT SYSTEM PLANT PARTS AND THEIR FUNCTIONS
A system is a whole consisting of parts that work together to perform a

function.
A plant is made of different parts such as the roots, stem, leaves, flowers and
fruits.
These parts perform their own special function that contributes to the healthy
growth of the plant.
A plant can have:
o Leaves
Can be different in many ways such as
Colour
Texture: rough, smooth
Size: large, small, long, narrow
Edge: Entire, lobed, jagged
Shape: Round, heart-shaped, palm shaped
Vein pattern: parallel vein pattern, palmate, netted
Make food for the plant through the process of photosynthesis.
Breathe air in and out so that the plant is supplied with carbon
dioxide and oxygen
Has stomata (found mostly under the leaf) to perform this
function
If covered with a substance that does not allow air to pass
through, the plant will die.
o Stem
Supports the branches, leaves and flowers in most flowering
plants.
Carries water and minerals from the roots to all parts of the
plant.
Xylem (water carrying tubes) carries water
Carries food from the leaves to the roots
Phloem (food carrying tubes) carries food
Holds up the leaves so that they can get sunlight.
Stores food like sugar in sugar cane stems.
Potato underground stem
o Roots
Absorbs water and nutrients from the soil
Anchors the plant firmly to the ground
Store food for some plants
Eg. Tapioca, Sweet Potato
o Flowers
Grow into fruits
Reproduce for the plant
o Fruits
Develop from flowers
Eg. Tomato, Capsicum, egg plant, ladies finger
HEAT
Heat is a form of energy.

Heat always flows from a hotter object to a cooler object.
o This heat transfer will continue until both objects are of the same
temperature ie. Room temperature.
Anything that gives off heat is a source of heat. For example:
o Sun
o Burning fuel
Coal, kerosene, wood, gas
o Electricity
o Friction
o Chemical reaction
We use heat to:
o Dry our clothes
o Preserve/make food, eg. fermentation in wine-making, cuttlefish
o Ironing
o Cook food and boil water
o Generate electricity
o Craft metals
Temperature is a measure of heat. It is not the same as heat.
Temperature is a measure of the degree of hotness or coldness of
matter.
We measure temperature using a thermometer.
o The unit of measurement of a thermometer is degrees Celsius.
Question: Even if a large container of water and a small container of water
have the same temperature, the large container will have more heat
because there is more water, and more heat is needed to warm it to the
same temperature as compared to the smaller container.
CONDUCTORS AND INSULATORS
Materials that allow heat to pass through easily are called good conductors
of heat.
o Steel
o Iron
o Copper
Materials that do not allow heat to travel through easily are called insulators
or poor conductors of heat.
o Wood
o Plastic
o Rubber
We use insulators as materials for objects that we do not want to get hot
easily.
o Handles for pots and pans
o Oven mittens
o Spatula
We use good conductors as materials for objects that we want to get hot
easily.
o Pots and pans for cooking
o Clothes iron
Air is a poor conductor of heat.
o Wool contains pockets of air which is why it is often used to make
winter clothing since our body heat cannot pass through it easily and
we stay warm.
EXPANSION AND CONTRACTION
Matter expands when heated and contracts when cooled.

The liquid in thermometers allow us to tell the temperature as the liquid
expands when heated, and contracts when cooled.
Question: A metal ball that could pass through a ring can no longer pass
through the ring when it is heated because it has expanded. The ball will be
able to pass through the ring again after some time when the ball has cooled
down.
Question: Coloured water in a conical flask will expand when heated and
cause the water level in a glass tube to rise. When the flask is cooled, the
water will contract and the water level will decrease.
Water
level
Water
level
Ice
Uses of expansion and contraction in our lives include:

o Using hot water to open a tightly screwed bottle cap. Pour hot water on
the cap and the cap will expand, allowing it to be easily unscrewed.
Restoring a dented ping pong ball. Pouring hot water on the dented
ping pong ball will expand the air in the ball and bring the ball back to
its original shape.
Gaps are created in between floor tiles and railway tracks to prevent
them from cracking in hot weather when they expand.

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P4 SA1 SCIENCE NOTES

All living things and non-living things are made up of matter.

No definite shape -> takes the shape of its container

PLANT SYSTEM PLANT PARTS AND THEIR FUNCTIONS

A system is a whole consisting of parts that work together to perform a

Heat is a form of energy.

CONDUCTORS AND INSULATORS

EXPANSION AND CONTRACTION

Matter expands when heated and contracts when cooled.

Uses of expansion and contraction in our lives include:

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