What counts as matter?
A torch shines on a stone. Which one is matter, the stone or the light?
Step 1 of 4
- Two tests for matter. Has it mass? Does it take up space?
- A stone passes both tests. It is matter.
- The air in a football passes both tests. It is matter.
- Torch light has no mass. One missing test means it is not matter.
The stone is matter. The light is not.
Matter is anything that has mass and takes up space. A thing with mass can be weighed on a balance. Taking up space means filling a place, so less room is left. Heat, light and sound are ways energy moves. Energy is what makes things warm or move.
The rule
Matter is anything that has mass and takes up space. Stone, water and air are matter. Light, sound and heat are not matter. Thoughts and feelings are not matter.
Six things, sorted:
- A stone: yes. It has mass and takes up space.
- Air in a football: yes. It has mass and takes up space.
- Light: no. It has no mass.
- Heat: no. It is energy on the move.
- Sound: no. It is a wave.
- A feeling: no. It is not made of matter.
Pick a thing. Put it on the balance and into the box.
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