States of Matter Facts & Worksheets

Everything you see around you is considered as matter. It is anything that occupies space and has mass. There are three basic states of matter - solid, liquid, and gas.

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Table of Contents

Everything you see around you is considered a matter. It is anything that occupies space and has mass. It consists of small particles known as atoms. There are three basic states of matter – solid, liquid, and gas.

See the fact file below for more information on the States of Matter, or you can download our 26-page States of Matter worksheet pack to utilize within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

MATTER

• Matter makes up both living and nonliving things.
• Besides occupying space and having mass, another characteristic of matter is it has weight.
• Two ways to describe matter are through its properties, the Physical Properties and Chemical Properties.
• Physical Properties are the characteristics that can be seen as it is.
• It can be its shape, color, size, or temperature as long as it doesn’t change the identity of the matter.
• Chemical Properties are the characteristics of matter which show how it changes its form with the existence of another matter.
• Aside from the three states of matter, there are two less commonly known but are still important – the plasma and Bose-Einstein condensates.

STATES OF MATTER

• Matter can exist in many states depending on the factors that can affect it.
• One element or compound of matter can be present in more than one state.
• Water, for example, can exist as a solid, liquid, or gas.
• Heating and cooling can affect the state of matter.
• If material changes its state, molecules only move differently but don’t break apart.

SOLID

• Solid has a definite shape, mass, and volume and is hard to compress.
• Molecules of solid substances are closely packed together, and the forces between the particles are so strong that they cannot move freely but can only vibrate.
• It has a high density and cannot change its shape unless it is broken.
• Solids can be categorized depending on how the particles are arranged.
• They can be classified as crystalline and amorphous or non-crystalline.

CRYSTALLINE

• They are also known as true solids.
• All metals and several minerals, such as sodium chloride or salt, belong in this class.
• The atoms, ions, and molecules of crystalline solids are arranged orderly and have a symmetrical pattern repeated on the crystal.
• They are also incompressible.
• Examples of crystalline solids are sodium nitrate, diamond, and salt.

TYPES OF CRYSTALLINE SOLIDS

IONIC SOLIDS

• Ionic solids consist of oppositely charged ions, cations (+), and anions (-), secured by electrostatic forces.
• The strong attraction that the charges create makes it hard and brittle.
• Therefore, ionic compounds have very high melting points.
• Most ionic solids can be dissolved in water and conduct electricity.
• Table salt is an example of an ionic solid.

MOLECULAR SOLIDS

• They consist of covalently bonded molecules held together by electrostatic forces known as van der Waals forces.
• Molecular solids are soft and sometimes volatile.
• They also have low melting temperatures and are electrical insulators.
• Sucrose is a molecular solid.

NETWORK COVALENT SOLIDS

• This kind of crystalline solid does not contain individual molecules.
• Instead, it consists of atoms that are covalently bonded to all the surrounding atoms.
• They have properties similar to the ionic solids.
• However, network covalent solids do not conduct electricity nor dissolve in water.
• Diamond and graphite are examples of network covalent solids.

METALLIC SOLIDS

• Metallic solids have a unique set of properties because they exclusively contain metal atoms.
• These metals are opaque and lustrous solids that are malleable and ductile.
• Metallic solids are good conductors of electricity and heat.
• They are also insoluble in water.
• They also have high melting points.
• Aluminum, iron, and copper are metallic solids.

AMORPHOUS OR NON-CRYSTALLINE

• Amorphous are solids with no form.
• Unlike Crystalline, the particles of amorphous solids do not have a pattern.
• They do not have a definite melting point but melt slowly at different ranges of temperatures.
• When melted, amorphous solids will turn into a soft and malleable state until it becomes liquid.
• Plastic, gel, and glass are non-crystalline solids.

LIQUID

• The particles of a liquid are loosely packed, and they can move around and pass by one another.
• It is hard to compress liquids.
• Unlike solids, they have an indefinite shape, so it follows the shape of the containers.
• They are less dense than solids.
• Liquid flow depends on its viscosity or its resistance to flow.
• When exposed to extreme temperatures, liquids can change their form.
• Some examples of liquids that you could encounter daily are milk, coffee, water, oil, and sweat.

GAS

• Gas is compressible as it not only follows a container’s shape but expands for it to be filled.
• If it is not confined, its particles will rather spread out indefinitely.
• Gas has no definite shape or volume but still has the property to occupy space.
• The molecules of gas move constantly; it does not slow down or stick with other gas molecules or objects.
• When the temperature is below its critical temperature, gas can turn into vapor.
• It can also be liquified with increased pressure or reduced temperature.

PLASMA

• Plasma was first identified in 1879.
• Plasma contains highly charged particles and carries high kinetic energy.
• Its atoms are super excited and super hot.
• Its particles are spread out and can move around freely.
• It has no definite shape or volume.
• It can be created through heating and ionizing gas.
• Plasma has ions and electrons, which enable it to conduct electricity.
• Fluorescent lights, lightning, and stars are examples of plasma.

BOSE-EINSTEIN CONDENSATE

• In the 1920s, Satyendra Bose and Albert Einstein were the first to predict the Bose-Einstein Condensate phenomenon.
• However, they lacked the equipment and facilities to make it happen.
• The first condensate was created in 1995 by Cornell and Wieman.
• The atoms of Bose-Einstein Condensate (BEC) are the opposite of plasma as they are super unexcited and super cold.
• Its particles, known as bosons, can reach a temperature near absolute zero, where they can hardly move because they have almost no free energy to do it.
• The atoms begin to group and be of the same energy state.
• They become identical, and the group starts behaving as if they were a single atom.
• Superfluids, such as cold liquid helium, are an example of Bose-Einstein condensate.

States of Matter Worksheets

This fantastic bundle includes everything you need to know about the States of Matter across 26 in-depth pages. These ready-to-use worksheets are perfect for teaching kids about the States of Matter. Everything you see around you is considered a matter. It is anything that occupies space and has mass. It consists of small particles known as atoms. There are three basic states of matter – solid, liquid, and gas.

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

1. State of Matter Facts
2. True or False
3. What Am I?
4. What’s the Matter?
5. Crossword
6. SOLID BINGO!
7. Liquidoodle
8. What MATTERS Most?
9. Chemical Reactions
10. Changing States
11. How Close Can It Be?

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the three main states of matter?

The three main states of matter are solid, liquid, and gas.

What is the difference between a solid and a liquid?

Solids have a fixed shape and volume, while liquids have a fixed volume but take the shape of their container.

What is the process by which a solid turns into a liquid?

The process by which a solid turns into a liquid is called melting.

What is the difference between a liquid and a gas?

Liquids have a fixed volume but take the shape of their container, while gases have neither a fixed shape nor a fixed volume.

What is the process by which a liquid turns into a gas?

The process by which a liquid turns into a gas is called vaporization, which can occur either through evaporation (at the surface of the liquid) or boiling (throughout the liquid).

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