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Learning about solids and how they keep their own shape.
Have you ever wondered why your toy car stays the same shape, but water splashes and moves everywhere? Let's find out why some things are 'Super Solids'!
Everything in the world is made of stuff called matter. One kind of matter is a solid. A solid is very special because it keeps its own shape. If you put a square block inside a round bowl, the block stays a square! It does not change to look like the bowl. This is because the tiny pieces inside a solid are packed tightly together, like friends holding hands very tightly.
Let's look at a wooden block: 1. Pick up wooden block. 2. Put the block on the floor. It is a square. 3. Put the block in your backpack. It is still a square! 4. Because it stayed a square, we know it is a solid.
Quick Check
If you move a toy dinosaur from a box to a hat, does it turn into the shape of the hat?
Answer
No, because the toy dinosaur is a solid and keeps its own shape.
You are surrounded by solids right now! Most things you can grab and hold are solids. Look around your desk. Your pencil is a solid. Your chair is a solid. Even your shoes are solids! They are all solids because they don't flow away like milk or water. They stay exactly how they are unless you break them.
Imagine you are a scientist hunting for solids: 1. You find a book. It is flat and rectangular. 2. You find a ruler. It is long and straight. 3. You find a glue stick. It is a cylinder shape. All things keep their shape, so you found solids!
Quick Check
Can you name three things on your desk that are solids?
Answer
Answers may include: pencil, eraser, book, or tablet.
When you touch a solid, it usually feels hard or firm. If you push on a solid desk with your finger, the desk pushes back! It doesn't let your finger sink inside it. Some solids might feel smooth like a glass window, or rough like a rock, but they all feel solid because they are strong enough to hold their shape.
Let's compare two things: 1. Touch a rock. Your finger cannot go through it. It feels hard. This is a solid. 2. Touch the air. Your hand moves right through it! Air is not a solid. 3. Touch a stuffed animal. It is soft, but it is still a solid because it doesn't turn into a puddle!
What does a solid do when you put it in a new box?
Which of these is a solid you might find in school?
A solid feels hard or firm when you touch it.
Review Tomorrow
Tomorrow morning, look at your breakfast spoon. Ask yourself: Is this a solid? Does it keep its shape?
Practice Activity
Go on a 'Solid Safari' at home! Find 5 solids in your kitchen and tell someone why they are solids.