Lab briefing

Matter is anything that has mass and takes up space. Most matter around us is a solid, a liquid or a gas. A solid keeps its own shape. A liquid flows and takes the shape of its container. A gas spreads out to fill its container and can usually be compressed more easily than a solid or liquid. Matter is made of tiny particles. In a solid, particles are close together and vibrate in place. In a liquid, particles are close but can slide past one another. In a gas, particles are spread out and move freely. Heating or cooling can change a material from one state to another. Melting ice is a change of state; the water is still matter.