Three States of Matter

Lab Brief #1

🎯 Your mission

Run the experiment. Find out what really happens.

⚡ The twist

Color changes mean atoms are rearranging — even if you can't see them.

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

volume
The amount of space that an object takes up.
solid
A form of matter that keeps its own shape.
liquid
A wet material that flows and takes the shape of its container.

Make a hypothesis first

Before you mix: what color do you think it'll turn?

Say your guess out loud — then find out if you were right.

Get ready

🧰 What you need

vinegar
baking soda
paper towels

⚠️ Safety first

Wear eye protection, keep the substance off skin, and wash your hands when you finish.
Mop up spills straight away so nobody slips, and keep liquids away from sockets.

Step 1 of 4 · Read

Look at the vocabulary words and write a definition for each in your own words.

Step 2 of 4 · Do

Test 5 household liquids (vinegar, milk, lemon juice, baking soda water, soap) with pH paper. Classify each as acid, base, or neutral.

Step 3 of 4 · Observe

Draw a detailed diagram of what you observe.

Step 4 of 4 · Record

Write a conclusion: what did your results show? Did they match your prediction?

Question 1 of 3

What are the three common states of matter?

How sure are you?😐 maybe

Question 2 of 3

Which state of matter has a definite shape and volume?

How sure are you?😐 maybe

Question 3 of 3

Which state of matter fills its entire container?

How sure are you?😐 maybe

Mind = blown

🌈 Every color you see is your brain inventing a translation of light frequencies.

Nice work!

You got 0 of 3 right.

Next: Particles in Motion All lessons

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✨ More to explore

🌍 Where you see this in real life: Your toothpaste, your soap, even your breakfast involves this.

🏆 Stretch challenge (try it this week): Ask a grown-up to help you mix two safe kitchen things. Predict what will happen first.

👨‍👩‍👧 For the dinner table: “What's something we cook that mixes things together this way?”

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