Introduction: Three States of Matter

Matter comes in three states that are distinguished by the strength of the bonds holding the molecules of the matter together. The three states of matter are:

• Solids: The strong bonds between molecules make solids rigid and very difficult to deform.
• Liquids: The relatively weak bonds between molecules allow liquids to be deformed without effort. Liquids have a fixed volume, but their shape is determined by the shape of the container holding them.
• Gases: Virtually no bonds exist between gas molecule so that gases can spread into any available space. The volume of a gas is determined by the size of the container holding it.