What is matter?

In a solid the particles are held very close together by strong connections. Solids conserve their shape and volume. A cylinder of wood, for example, has a volume and shape that are not easily changed.

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​What are solids?

The particles in a liquid are close together but they are not in a regular pattern, and they not held together as strongly as solid are. Liquids conserve their volume, but not their shape. Liquids take the shape of the container they are in.

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What are liquids?

The air you breathe is made up made up of gases like water vapor, oxygen, and carbon dioxide. You cannot see gases, but if you blow air against the palm of your hand can feel the particles hitting your skin. The particles in a gas are not organized in a any pattern, they are not held together at all, and they move very rapidly. Water in gas form is called water vapor.

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What are gases?

This change of state from solid to liquid is called melting.

Melting

​The process of a liquid turning into a solid freezing.

Freezing

​We call the process of a liquid turning into gas evaporation.

Evaporation

We call the process of a liquid turning into gas evaporation.

​​Condensation