Matter

Matter is everything around you. Matter is anything made of atoms and molecules. Matter is anything that has a mass and it is also related to light and electromagnetic radiation.

There are 3 main states of matter. Solids, liquids, gases, are all different states of matter. Each of these states is also known as a phase. Elements and compounds can move from one phase to another phase when special physical forces are present.

Phase describes a physical state of matter. Things only move from one phase to another by physical means. I f energy is added or if energy is taken away you have created a physical change.

Solids are usually hard because their molecules have been packed together. The closer the molecules are, the harder it is. Solids also can hold their own shape. In the same way that a solid holds its shape, the atoms inside of a solid are not allowed to move around too much. This is one of the physical characteristics of solids.

The second state of matter is a liquid. Liquids can be found in between the solid and gas states. One characteristic of a liquid is that it will fill up the shape of a container. Another trait of liquids is that they are difficult to compress. Liquids already have their atoms close together, so they are hard to compress.

The third state of matter is gas. Gas is everywhere. The atmosphere is a big layer of gas that surrounds the Earth. Gases are random groups of atoms. Gases are really spread out and the atoms and molecules are full of energy. They are bouncing around constantly.

Gases can fill a container of any size or shape. That is one of their physical characteristics. They also can be compressed easily.