Everything around you is made of matter. The trees, soil, and grasses are all made of matter. Even the air you breathe is made of matter.

What are the states of matter?

Matter exists in different states, namely solid, liquid, gas, and plasma. These states of matter have different characteristics. They differ in the way they behave and appear.
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Ice is an example of a solid.
The water that flows in a glass is a liquid.
Fog is condensed vapor or gas.
Aurora borealis is made of plasma.

What is a solid?

A solid has a definite shape that cannot be easily changed.  Many solids are useful because they do not change shape easily. Imagine if the chair changed shape when you sat down on it, or the pencil changed shape when you held it. 

A solid also has a definite volume, which means it takes up a fixed amount of space. The amount of space it occupies does not change when you place it in a different container.​
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What is a liquid?

Have you accidentally knocked over a glass of water? Most likely, the water came flowing out of the glass and spilled all over the place. This is because water is a liquid. A liquid is a state of matter that flows freely and has no definite shape. When a liquid is poured into a container, it flows and takes the shape of its container.

A liquid has a definite volume, which means it takes up a fixed amount of space. The amount of space it occupies does not change when you transfer it to another container.
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What is a gas?

Take a deep breath. Inhale, then slowly exhale. Can you feel the air going inside and outside of your nose? You cannot see air, but like the objects you see around you, it is also matter. It takes up space and has mass. It can take up space inside your lungs. It can also take up space inside balloons and tires.

Unlike a liquid, a gas does not have a definite volume. It spreads out to fill every space available in the container. When you pour liquid water into a balloon, the water fills the bottom part first. But when you fill it with gas, the gas fills the whole balloon.
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What is plasma?

A plasma is similar to a gas, but it is highly energetic and charged. It is often very hot. It is the most common state of matter in the universe. It makes up the stars, the tails of comets, and the lightning. It is a glowing state of matter.
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What is matter made up of?

Matter is made up of tiny particles called atoms. The states of matter appear and behave differently because of the arrangement of their atoms.
  • The atoms in a solid are packed closely together. They are arranged in a repeating pattern. When you move a solid from one container to another, its atoms remain packed closely, like soldiers marching together. 
  • The atoms in a liquid move more freely. When you pour a liquid from one container to another, the atoms move around freely, like pedestrians walking together. 
  • The atoms in a gas move even more freely. They have lots of spaces between them. When you transfer a gas from one container to another, its atoms move freely, like people skating in an ice rink.​
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Some Interesting Facts about Matter

  • There is another state of matter that can be produced in science laboratories. This state is called Bose-Einstein condensate. In 1995, scientists have created a new state of matter by cooling a sample of matter at extremely low temperature (near absolute zero). They believed that this state of matter behaved and appeared differently than the other four states.
  • Matter is made up of very tiny particles called atoms. Can you see atoms? Yes! A transmission electron microscope can be used to magnify things over 500,000 times, enough to see lots of details of a certain sample of matter. It can be used to study molecules and atoms. 

All About Matter

Are you looking for fun and engaging matter activities that you can do with your kids? Check out this All About Matter resource that has everything you need for an interactive science unit in your classroom. It includes posters, word cards, nonfiction unit booklet, lap book guide, matter activities, workbook, answer key, graphic organizers, and writing activities. 

This comprehensive packet includes 5 pdf files: Matter Booklet, Posters and Word Cards, Fun Matter Workbook, Lap Book Guide, and Writing Activities Booklet.