States of Matter

According to the law of conservation of mass, the mass of a substance remains constant during a phase change. Freezing water does not change the amount of matter present.

Mass is defined as the measure of the amount of matter in an object. It is a fundamental property that remains constant regardless of location.

A solution is a homogeneous mixture where one substance dissolves into another. Salt and water form a solution because the salt particles are evenly distributed and invisible to the eye.

Solubility refers to the ability of a substance to dissolve in a solvent like water. Salt dissolves in water, while sand and gravel do not.

In a mixture, components maintain their physical properties. Wood chips, water, and sand do not react or dissolve into each other, so they remain distinct.

Condensation is the process where water vapor cools and turns back into liquid water, often forming clouds or precipitation. Evaporation is the opposite, where liquid turns to vapor.

Water is called the universal solvent because its polar molecular structure allows it to dissolve a wider variety of substances than almost any other liquid.

Melting is a change of state from solid to liquid. Since the chemical identity of the marshmallow remains the same, it is a physical change.

Evaporation is the process by which a liquid turns into a gas at its surface.

Matter is defined as anything that has mass and occupies space (volume).

Melting occurs when a solid absorbs thermal energy, causing its particles to move more freely and transition into a liquid state.

Deposition is the phase transition in which gas transforms directly into a solid without passing through the liquid phase.

Plasma is widely considered the fourth state of matter, following solids, liquids, and gases. It consists of ionized gas where electrons are stripped from atoms.

Gases do not have a definite shape or a definite volume; they expand to fill the entire container they are in. Solids and liquids have definite volumes.