States of Matter: What Is a Solid?

What You'll Learn

Matter exists in three common states: solid, liquid, and gas. Solids have a fixed shape and volume, liquids have a fixed volume but take the shape of their container, and gases fill any container.

Key Words

molecule
atom
element

Steps

Step 1 — Read

Read and learn: Matter exists in three common states: solid, liquid, and gas. Solids have a fixed shape and volume, liquids have a fixed volume but take the shape of their container, and gases fill any container.

Step 2 — Do

Gather your materials and set up your workspace.

Step 3 — Observe

Observe what happens and describe it in detail.

Step 4 — Record

Record your observations in your science journal.

Check Your Understanding

Question 1

1 of 3

What are the three common states of matter?