Solids, Liquids, and Gases

The Three States of Matter#

Everything around us is made of matter. Matter is the stuff that everything is made from — your desk, the water in your glass, the air you breathe. All matter comes in three main forms, called states. The three states of matter are:

1. Solid
2. Liquid
3. Gas

Let's find out what makes each state special!

Solids#

A solid has a fixed shape that stays the same unless you force it to change. If you put a rock on a table, it keeps its rock shape. If you move it to the floor, it is still the same rock shape. Solids hold their shape because the tiny particles inside them are packed tightly together, like people in a crowded room who can barely move.

Examples of solids: rocks, wood, ice, apples, books, chairs, coins, bricks.

Liquids#

A liquid dös not have a fixed shape. It takes the shape of whatever container it is in. Pour water into a round bowl — it becomes round. Pour it into a tall thin glass — it becomes tall and thin. But the amount of water stays the same!

Liquids can flow and pour. They are like people at a party who can walk around and fill any space they find.

Examples of liquids: water, juice, milk, honey, cooking oil, melted chocolate.

Gases#

A gas spreads out to fill the whole space it is in. You cannot usually see gases, but they are everywhere! The air you breathe is a mix of gases. When you blow up a balloon, you fill it with a gas.

Gases are like people who spread out across a whole building — they fill every corner and room.

Examples of gases: air, steam, the gas inside a balloon, the bubbles in fizzy drinks.

Matter is everywhere — and now you know its three amazing forms!