Phase Change

A phase is a fancy way of describing what state of matter something is in. The states or phases that
occur every day are solid, liquid, and gas. In solids, atoms and molecules have less energy than liquids,
the atoms and molecules are closer together, allowing for a definite shape and size. Liquid molecules
hold more energy than solids but less than gasses, giving them more fluidity of movement. These usually
take the shape of their containers since they don't have a definite shape of their own. Gases have more
energy per molecule or atom than liquids. They have no definite shape, no matter the container.

So what is a phase change? A phase change is the process of a substance gaining or losing energy so that
molecules or atoms either come closer together or become farther apart. When a solid gains enough
energy, it becomes a liquid. When a liquid gains enough energy, it becomes a gas. When a gas loses
energy, it becomes a liquid. When liquid loses energy, it becomes a solid. There are times when a solid
gains so much energy it skips the liquid phase and jumps straight to gas and vice versa. It is important to
point out that phase change is a physical, not a chemical, change. The substance still has the same
chemical characteristics.

Changes of Phase
There are four states of matter in the universe: plasma, gas, liquid and solid. But, matter on Earth exists
mostly in three distinct phases: gas, liquid and solid. A phase is a distinctive form of a substance, and
matter can change among the phases. It may take extreme temperature, pressure or energy, but all
matter can be changed.

There are six distinct changes of phase which happens to different substances at different temperatures.
The six changes are:

Freezing: the substance changes from a liquid to a solid.

Melting: the substance changes back from the solid to the liquid.

Condensation: the substance changes from a gas to a liquid.

Vaporization: the substance changes from a liquid to a gas.

Sublimation: the substance changes directly from a solid to a gas without going through the liquid
phase.

Deposition: the substance changes directly from a gas to a solid without going through the liquid phase.