The Changing States of Matter - Andrea Knight - Free Printable

Let’s walk through this step by step — like you’re doing the science experiment yourself!

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Step 1: Understand what you’re being asked to do

You made ice cream in a baggie (that’s the “Baggie Ice Cream” activity). Now, after making it, you need to:

✔ Compare and contrast the liquid mixture (before freezing) with the finished ice cream (after freezing).

That means:
- Write down two ways they are ALIKE.
- Write down two ways they are DIFFERENT.

Then, you’ll write two conclusions about states of matter based on what happened.

Finally, there’s a bonus question: What if you used lemon instead of vanilla? Which sense would notice?

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Step 2: Think about the liquid mixture vs. finished ice cream

Before freezing:
- It’s runny (like milk + sugar + vanilla mixed together).
- You can pour it.
- It smells sweet and maybe a little like vanilla.
- It feels wet and cold but not solid.
- It looks like creamy white liquid.

After freezing (ice cream):
- It’s thick and scoopable (not runny anymore).
- You can’t pour it easily.
- Still smells sweet/vanilla-y.
- Feels colder and firmer when you touch or eat it.
- Looks similar color, but now has texture — maybe icy or creamy depending on how well it froze.

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Step 3: Fill in “ALIKE”

Things that stayed the same:

1. Smell – Both smell sweet and like vanilla (unless you changed flavor!).
2. Color – Both are usually white or off-white.
3. Taste – If you tasted both (don’t taste raw eggs or unsafe stuff!), they’d both be sweet and creamy-tasting.
4. Ingredients – Same things inside: cream, sugar, vanilla.

👉 Pick any two for “ALIKE”. Let’s go with:
> - They both smell sweet and vanilla-like.
> - They both have the same basic ingredients (cream, sugar, vanilla).

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Step 4: Fill in “DIFFERENT”

Things that changed:

1. Texture/Feel – Liquid is runny; ice cream is thick and firm.
2. State of Matter – Liquid was… liquid! Ice cream is more solid (frozen).
3. Temperature Feel – Ice cream feels much colder to touch because it’s frozen.
4. Pourability – You can pour the liquid mixture; you can’t pour ice cream.

👉 Pick any two for “DIFFERENT”. Let’s go with:
> - The liquid mixture is runny and pourable; the ice cream is thick and holds its shape.
> - The ice cream feels much colder and harder to touch than the liquid mixture.

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Step 5: Write your conclusions about states of matter

What did you learn from watching the change?

Example conclusions:

1. When you cool a liquid enough, it can turn into a solid (freezing!).
2. Even though it changes state (liquid → solid), some properties stay the same — like smell or taste.

So write something like:
> - Cooling a liquid can make it become a solid.
> - Changing state doesn’t always change everything — like smell or flavor stays the same.

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Step 6: Bonus Question — Lemon instead of Vanilla?

If you swapped vanilla extract for lemon juice or lemon extract...

Which senses would notice?

Let’s think:

- 👀 Sight? Maybe not — both are clear liquids, might look similar.
- 👃 Smell? YES! Lemon smells citrusy, vanilla smells sweet and warm.
- 👂 Hearing? No — sound doesn’t change.
- 👅 Taste? YES! Big difference — sour/tart vs. sweet/creamy.
- ✋ Touch? Probably not — both are liquids, feel similar.

✔ So check: smell and taste

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Final Answer:

ALIKE:
- They both smell sweet and vanilla-like.
- They both contain the same main ingredients (cream, sugar, vanilla).

DIFFERENT:
- The liquid mixture is runny and pourable; the ice cream is thick and holds its shape.
- The ice cream feels much colder and firmer to touch than the liquid mixture.

Conclusions:
- Cooling a liquid can cause it to freeze and become a solid.
- Even when matter changes state, some properties like smell and taste can stay the same.

Bonus Question Answer:
☑️ smell
☑️ taste