Matter - Science Reading

Matter is all around you. Matter is the substance that makes all things. Scientists define matter as anything that has weight and takes up space. Is it possible to prove that the things you see around you are made of matter? Actually, such a proof just requires that you use a little common sense.

First, does each item have weight? Scientists use a scale to prove whether something has weight. A book, for example, might one pound. A person might weight 125 pounds. A sandwich might weight only six ounces. If we put any of these items on a scale, we can find how much they weigh. Therefore, each item has a specific weight.

Second, let's prove that the things you see take up space. For example, a book lying on a desk takes up space on the surface of the desk. A person sitting on a chair fills space in the chair. A sandwich in a plastic bag fills space in the bag. Once you know that a book, a person, and a sandwich have weight and take up space, you can see that they all are made of matter.

What about things that you can't see, such as air? Air is difficult to weigh on a scale. But you know that something that is heavy can move lighter things out of its way. Air moves the leaves on plants and the hairs on our head, so we can conclude that air has weight. It's also true that if you blow air into a balloon, the air fills space inside the balloon. Since air has weight and takes up space, it is clear that it is made of matter.

Not everything, however, is made of matter. For example, you might have a million things on your mind. Those things, however, are ABSTRACT thoughts and ideas. Thoughts and ideas are items that neither have weight nor take up space. Thus, they are not made of matter.