Matter 

is anything that occupies space and has mass. All physical objects are
composed of matter, and an easily observed property of matter is its state or
phase. The classical states of matter are solid, liquid and gas. Several other
states, including plasma and Bose-Einstein condensate, do exist, but it is the
classical states that can transition directly into any of the other classical
states.

For example, an ice cube (solid water) left on a bench at

room temperature quickly changes to liquid water, whereas a jet of steam
(gaseous water) from the spout of a boiling kettle changes to liquid water
when directed onto a cold surface.

Classifying matter
Another way of thinking about matter is from the chemist’s viewpoint. The
following diagram shows a way of classifying matter with elements and
compounds very much in mind.

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Matter from a chemist’s viewpoint
This diagram classifies matter according to the uniformity of its composition.
To see how this classification system works, let us take two examples:

 How does milk fit into this system? Milk has a uniform composition, and it is a
solution (homogeneous). Filtering the milk will separate out suspended solids
(proteins and lipids), leaving behind a clear liquid. The application of various
separation techniques to this liquid yields numerous categories of
chemical compound. Milk is a complex mixture of substances.
 How does golden beach sand fit into this system? Most of the grains of golden
beach sand are either light-coloured feldspar or clear quartz. Beach sand has a
non-uniform composition, but the grains can be physically separated
into mineral groupings. Sand minerals are chemical compounds.

Kinetic-molecular theory of matter

Solids, liquids and gases each have their own characteristic properties. In order to
explain how these properties come about, the kinetic-molecular theory has been
developed.

According to this theory, all matter is made up of extremely small particles

(atoms, molecules or ions), which are in constant motion:

 In solids, these particles are tightly packed together, usually in a regular array,
and vibrate back and forth.
 In liquids, the particles are still tightly packed, but as well as vibrating, they can
move over and in between one another.
 In the gaseous state, the particles are spaced out relative to one another and are
moving around with rapid, random motion.
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Kinetic model of matter
The three classical states of matter compared at the molecular level. In solids, the particles
vibrate about fixed positions. In liquids, the particles vibrate and move over and in between one
another. Gas particles are widely spaced and move with rapid, random motion.

For each of these states, the higher the temperature, the faster the particles move.

Relationships between states of matter

The classical states of matter (solid, liquid and gas) can transition directly into any of
the other classical states. Either adding heat to the system or removing heat from the
system can achieve this.
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Relationships between states of matter
This diagram shows how solids, liquids and gases – the three classical states of matter – can
interconvert.

Two other states of matter

When a gas is heated to very high temperatures, the gaseous atoms are stripped of
their outer electrons. This creates ‘ionised’ gas that consists of a highly energetic mix
of positive ions, electrons and atoms. The gas has been converted into plasma, often
referred to as the ‘fourth state of matter’.

In the 1920s, two scientists, Satyendra Bose and Albert Einstein, predicted the
existence of a state of matter at the extreme low-energy end of the temperature scale.
They called this state ‘Bose-Einstein condensate’. There are only a few selected
elements and subatomic particles that can reach this state. It was not until 1995 that
two scientists, Cornell and Weiman, were able to make this condensate from atoms of
rubidium.