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States of Matter

There are three main states of matter:

Solids

  • Solids are of a fixed shape, and cannot be compressed.
  • Their particles are close together, and vibrate around a fixed point.

Liquids

  • Liquids will take the shape of their container, and cannot be compressed.
  • Their particles are close together

Gases

  • Gases will move to fill their container, and can be compressed.
  • Their particles are far apart

Changes of State

For the three main states of matter, there are six changes of state than can occur:

  • Melting (Solid -> Liquid)
  • Freezing (Liquid -> Solid)
  • Condensation (Gas -> Liquid)
  • Evaporation (Liquid -> Gas)
  • Sublimation (Solid -> Gas)
  • Deposition (Gas -> Solid)

States Triangle

State Symbols

State Symbol
Solid (s)
Liquid (l)
Gas (g)
Aqueous (aq)

Aqueous means dissolved in water


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