Lesson 1 of 7
Solids, liquids and gases
Goal: Describe the properties of the three states of matter.
Almost everything around you is a solid, a liquid or a gas. These are the three states of matter.
Swipe to see the three states.
Solid
Keeps its own shape.
Has a fixed volume.
Is very hard to squash.
Liquid
Flows, and takes the shape of its container.
Has a fixed volume.
Is very hard to squash.
Gas
Spreads out to fill its container.
Has no fixed shape or volume.
Can be squashed into a smaller space.
- Volume is the amount of space something takes up. A solid or a liquid keeps the same volume. A gas does not.
- Liquids and gases both flow. A solid does not.
- Sand and sugar can be poured, but they are solids. Each grain is a tiny solid with its own shape.
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Key words in this lesson
Solid Has a fixed shape and a fixed volume
Liquid Flows and takes the shape of its container, but has a fixed volume
Gas Spreads out to fill its container, and can be squashed