States Of Matter: Solid, Liquid, Gas
States of matter are the physical forms that a substance can take — the three most common being solid, liquid, and gas. Everything around us, from an eraser to a glass of water to the air we breathe, is made of tiny particles, and it is how those particles are arranged and how fast they move that decides which state something is in.
In a solid, particles are packed tightly in fixed positions, so a solid keeps its own shape and volume — a LEGO brick stays a brick wherever you put it. In a liquid, particles are still close together but can slide past one another, so a liquid flows and takes the shape of its container while keeping the same volume. In a gas, particles are far apart and move quickly in every direction, so a gas spreads out to fill all the space available.
A key idea is that the same substance can change state by gaining or losing heat: adding heat makes particles move faster and spread out (melting, then boiling), while cooling slows them down and packs them closer (condensing, then freezing). Water, for example, can be ice, liquid water, or steam.
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Welcome!Science • Primary Solid, Liquid, Gas 🧊💧💨 Everything around you — your water bottle, the air you breathe, your eraser — is made of tiny bits called particles. The way those particles sit together decides if something is a solid, a liquid, or a gas. 🧊💧💨 By the end you will be able to: 👉 spot the three states of matter 👉 explain how their particles move 👉 know what happens when things heat up or cool down Tap Next to begin your adventure! →
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Solids hold their shapeState 1 of 3 🧊 Solids A solid keeps its own shape. A LEGO brick stays a brick wherever you put it. Why? Its particles are packed tightly together in neat rows and can only wiggle on the spot. 🤚 Tap to wiggle the particles See how they jiggle but never leave their spot — that's why a solid stays firm! 🧱Tightly packed 🔒Fixed shape ✊Hard to squash Examples: rock, ice, your pencil, a coin.
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Liquids flow and fillState 2 of 3 💧 Liquids A liquid flows and takes the shape of its container. Pour water into a round cup and it becomes round! Its particles are still close, but they can slide past each other. 💧 Tap to let it flow Watch the particles slide and settle at the bottom — just like juice in a cup. 🤝Close but loose 🥤Takes cup's shape 🌊Can be poured Examples: water, milk, oil, honey.
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Gases spread everywhereState 3 of 3 💨 Gases A gas spreads out to fill all the space it can. Its particles are far apart and zoom around super fast in every direction. That's why a smell travels right across a room! 💨 Tap to release the gas The particles fly apart and bounce off the walls — gas has no fixed shape at all. 🚀Far apart, fast 🎈Fills any space 🌬️Easy to squash Examples: the air, steam, the helium in a balloon.
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Sort it! (game)🎯 Sorting Challenge Tap an object, then tap the bin where it belongs: Solid, Liquid, or Gas. Get all six to win! 🪨rock 🥛milk 🎈helium 🧊ice cube ♨️steam 🧃juice 🧊 Solid 💧 Liquid 💨 Gas Pick an object to start… 👆
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Heating & cooling🔥❄️ Changing States The same stuff can change state! Add heat and particles speed up and spread out. Take heat away (cool it) and they slow down and pack tight. Slide to heat the ice! ❄️ 🔥 coldwarmhot This water is now a SOLID Frozen solid ice — particles locked in place. Slide right to add heat! 🌡️ ❄️ Freeze → solid • Melt → liquid • Boil → gas 🔥
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Brain check🧠 Quick Brain Check You breathe it in, it has no shape, and its particles zoom far apart. Which state of matter is the air? 🌬️ 🧊 Solid 💧 Liquid 💨 Gas Choose your answer above 👆 Hint: think about how a smell can spread across the whole room!
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You did it!🎉 Brilliant Work! You are now a States of Matter explorer! Here's everything you learned: 🧊 Solid Particles packed tight. Fixed shape. Only wiggles. 💧 Liquid Particles slide. Takes cup's shape. Flows & pours. 💨 Gas Particles far & fast. Fills all space. Spreads out. ✓ Add heat → particles speed up → solid melts to liquid, liquid boils to gas. ✓ Take heat away (cool) → particles slow down → gas to liquid, liquid freezes to solid. ✓ It's the same stuff — only the particles' arrangement changes! 🧊→💧→💨 Keep exploring — science is everywhere! 🌟
Frequently asked questions
- What are the three states of matter?
- The three common states are solid, liquid, and gas. A solid holds its own shape, a liquid flows and takes the shape of its container, and a gas spreads out to fill all the space it can.
- Why does a solid keep its shape but a liquid does not?
- In a solid the particles are packed tightly in fixed positions and can only wiggle, so the shape stays fixed. In a liquid the particles are still close but can slide past each other, so the liquid flows and takes the shape of whatever container it is in.
- How does water change from one state to another?
- Adding heat makes water's particles move faster: ice melts into liquid water, and liquid water boils into steam (a gas). Taking heat away does the reverse — steam condenses back to water, and water freezes into ice.
- Why can we smell food from across the room?
- Smells travel as a gas. Gas particles are far apart and move very fast in every direction, so they spread out and drift across the room until they reach your nose.
- Is air a solid, liquid, or gas?
- Air is a gas. It has no fixed shape, fills any space it is in, and its particles are far apart and move quickly — all the signs of the gas state.
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