The Fundamentals of Matter

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Recommended: States of matter vocabulary

The three fundamental phases of matter are solids, liquids, and gases. They are also called “the states of matter which are the physical forms of a substance.” (Physical Science Textbook page 110) The motion of particles is needed to understand how the states of matter behave because scientists need to know how they move about. Matter is made up of particles called atoms and molecules. Atoms and molecules are constantly bumping into each other while vibrating or moving about. The movement of the particles is determined on the state they are in. Solids, liquids, and gases have a different density and their levels of stability aren’t alike. The bond of their atoms determines how stable they can be. For example, if the bond is much tighter, then the phase of matter will most likely be more stable than a loose bond because the particles are tightly packed. A solid is the most stable out of the three. Liquid comes next, and last but not least, gases.
“A solid is a state of matter in which the volume and shape of a substance are fixed.” (Physical Science Textbook page 111) The...

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