States_Of_Matter

States Of Matter The definition of matter is something that takes up space and has a mass. It has to have inertia and weight when gravity is present. Matter is commonly known to exist in three states: solid, liquid, and gas. Scientists also acknowledge two other states: plasma and Bose-Einstein condensate (A). The general properties of matter come from having mass and taking up space. Even though a substance might change its state, it still consists of the same atoms. The state of matter depends on its temperature, which is the average kinetic energy of the substances molecules (B). The molecules of a solid are held closely together, and don’t have much free space to move. This is why a solid holds its shape. The atoms do not have enough kinetic energy to move out of their positions. This limitation gives a solid a limited volume and shape. The particles of most solids are arranged in duplicating geometric patterns called crystals (C). As the temperature of a solid increases, the molecules eventually free themselves from their fixed position and a phase change occurs. Depending on the element, the change from solid to liquid will happen at a specific temperature known as the melting point (B). When that happens, matter, molecules, energy, gas, atoms, particles, move, solid, plasma, zero, shape, made, liquid, together, temperature, phase, much, kinetic, free, even, electrons, density, change, absolute, volume, tiny, state, space, out, held, go, enough, earth, come