Misconceptions About States and Changes of Matter

Students may think…	Instead of thinking…
When water boils and bubbles, the bubbles are air, oxygen or hydrogen, or heat.	Bubbles formed by boiling water consist of water vapor (steam).
Steam is hot air.	Steam is water vapor.
When steam is no longer visible it becomes air.	When water vapor condenses in the air it is visible as tiny water droplets.
Water in an open container is absorbed by the container, disappears, changes into air, or dries up and goes into the air.	Water in an open container evaporates, changing from a liquid to a gas.
Ice molecules are colder than water molecules.	Ice molecules have less kinetic energy than water molecules.
Condensation is when air turns into a liquid.	Condensation is water vapor in the air that cools enough to become a liquid.
Condensation on the outside of a container is water that seeped (or sweated) through the walls of the container.	Condensation of water vapor happens when the water vapor in air comes in contact with a cool surface.
Expansion of matter is due to the expansion of the particles rather than increased space between the particles.	Matter expands when heated because the molecules are vibrating more quickly, loosening bonds, and increasing the space between adjacent atoms or molecules.
The water cycle involves freezing and melting of water.	The water cycle involves evaporation of liquid water, condensation of water vapor, and precipitation (rain, sleet, hail, or snow).
Water only gets evaporated from the ocean or lakes.	Water can evaporate from plants, animals, puddles, and the ground in addition to bodies of water.
The water cycle only includes rain and snow.	Ice in all its forms (sea ice, glaciers, ice sheets, icebergs, permafrost) is part of the global water cycle.