Matter and Its Physical States
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Matter is anything that has mass and occupies space.
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The three classical states of matter are solid, liquid and gas.
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The physical state of a substance depends mainly on:
- the strength of intermolecular forces;
- the kinetic energy of particles;
- temperature; and
- pressure.
| Property | Solid | Liquid | Gas |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shape | Definite | Takes container’s shape | Takes container’s shape |
| Volume | Definite | Nearly definite | Not definite |
| Particle spacing | Very small | Moderate | Large |
| Intermolecular force | Strong | Intermediate | Very weak |
| Compressibility | Very low | Low | High |
| Ability to flow | Normally absent | Present | Present |