Power Hour 35 Solids and Liquids by Rachelle Kreisman

Solids are a kind of matter. They are things that have their own shape. They do not flow like liquids do. You can see and touch solids. You can describe a solid by its properties. Some of those properties are color, shape, size, and texture. Bowling balls and tennis balls are both solids. Each has its own shape. You can see and touch both of them. Are they different? Let's compare. Most tennis balls are yellow or green, but they also come in many other colors. Most bowling balls are black, but they come in many colors, too

Both kinds of balls are round. They do, however, have very different sizes. Tennis balls are small. You can hold a tennis ball in one hand. A bowling ball is much bigger. It is also much heavier than a tennis ball.

Bowling balls and tennis balls have different textures. A bowling ball is smooth. A tennis ball has a soft and fuzzy texture. What can a tennis ball do that a bowling ball cannot? Bounce! Tennis balls are made to bounce. Bowling balls do not bounce. Both bowling balls and tennis balls are solids. But they are also very different from each other!

What do shoes, paper, and cheese all have in common? They are all solids. Solids are things that have a shape of their own. They do not flow like liquids do. Computers, trees, and soccer balls are also solids. Liquids do not keep their shape. A liquid can be poured into a container and will take the container's shape. Some examples of liquids are water and milk. Solids and liquids have something in common. They are both states of matter. Matter is everywhere. It is anything that takes up space and has mass. Mass is a measure of how much matter is in an object. All objects are made of matter.