Bill Nye's Phases of Matter

• Bill Nye, the Science Guy, explains that matter is everything around us, and it comes in three phases: solid, liquid, and gas.

• The only difference between molten steel, melted steel, liquid steel, and solid steel is energy, with the atoms moving at different speeds.

• The gas in our cars changes from a liquid (gasoline) to a gas (vapor) when it's burned, and it's the same with balloons.

• Changing a solid to a liquid to a gas requires energy, and this energy can be taken away or added to change the phase of matter.

• When matter changes phase, the energy is either added or removed, and this process is demonstrated with a burner heating liquid water to turn it into water vapor.

• The same process is demonstrated in reverse, using a freezer to remove energy from liquid water and turn it into solid ice.

• The first law of thermodynamics states that energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transferred from one place to another.

• A thermometer is used to measure the temperature of a room, and a freezer is used to pump heat from the freezer to the room, changing the phase of matter.

• Phase change is demonstrated with a popsicle, which changes from a liquid to a solid when energy is removed.

• Bill Nye explains that changing a solid to a liquid to a gas always requires energy, and this energy can be added or removed to change the phase of matter.

• Liquid nitrogen is used to demonstrate phase change, as it boils at -196 degrees Celsius and changes from a liquid to a gas without the need for a burner.

• When molecules slow down, they get closer together, and unusual things can happen, such as a rubber ball shattering and an onion slicing into thin pieces when frozen in liquid nitrogen.

• The three phases of matter are solid (like ice), liquid (like water), and gas (like water vapor).

• Johnny Atom is a character used to explain the concept of matter and phase change, with a song that summarizes the three phases of matter.

• The "Absolute Zero Hour" segment explains that absolute zero is the theoretical temperature at which all matter would have zero entropy, but it's not possible to reach in reality.

• Bill Nye demonstrates the concept of pressure using a ball filled with air connected to a pressure gauge, showing how the gauge reads higher when the molecules are moving faster and lower when they are moving slower.

• Dry ice is used to demonstrate how the molecules slow down when cooled, resulting in a lower pressure reading on the gauge.

• Absolute zero is the temperature at which molecular motion stops, and it's colder than almost anything imaginable.
• At absolute zero, there is no molecular motion, and the pressure reading would be extremely low.
• Scientists have not been able to reach absolute zero, but they have come within 1/1000th of a degree Celsius.
• It's impossible to reach absolute zero because there is always a path for heat to get from the Earth to the object being cooled.
• The concept of absolute zero is more of an idea than a real thing that can be achieved.
• In an experiment, a ball of air is cooled using a special freezer, but it can't reach absolute zero because of the heat from the Earth.
• The phase of matter changes depending on the temperature and pressure, with molecules moving slower or faster accordingly.
• Solids have molecules moving slowly and packed closely together, liquids have molecules moving a little faster, and gases have molecules moving very fast.
• In an experiment, a cup of boiling water and two cups of sugar create a phase change, resulting in rock candy.
• Solid carbon dioxide can be changed into a gas by putting it in warm water.
• In another experiment, a broomstick balance is used to prove that invisible gas is matter by weighing it.
• Carbon dioxide gas is created by mixing vinegar and baking soda, and it's the same gas that bubbles out of soft drinks.
• The gas is heavier than air and can be poured into a lunch bag, making it sink.
• In an experiment with molten wax, it's poured into a mold and cooled to create a solid pattern.
• In another experiment, silicon bronze is melted at 2,100 degrees Fahrenheit and poured into a mold to create a solid object.
• The song "Gas, Liquid, and Solid" explains the phases of matter, with elements changing shape depending on the temperature and pressure.
• Solids hold their shape, liquids take the shape of their container, and gases take the shape of their container.
• Many solids hold their shape even when hit with a water balloon.
• The elements can be combined with other matter to make a change that stays forever, or they can change from one form to another depending on the temperature.
• The ocean and air are made of molecules that change roles often, and matter is essential to life.
• Bill Nye, the Science Guy, hosts the educational program about the phases of matter.