What are the three states of matter?

• A. Solid, liquid, gas.
• B. Solid, plasma, gas.
• C. Liquid, vapor, plasma.
• D. Gas, plasma, energy.

Answer: (A)

Matter can exist in three basic forms under ordinary conditions, and they’re shaped by how tightly the particles are packed and how much they move. In a solid, particles are tightly packed and only vibrate in place, giving something a definite shape and volume. In a liquid, particles can slide past one another, so the substance flows and takes the shape of its container while keeping a definite volume. In a gas, particles move freely and spread out to fill the space, so there’s no fixed shape or volume.

The three states listed most commonly are solid, liquid, and gas. Plasma is also a real state of matter, but it occurs at very high energy and is usually treated as separate from the basic trio. The term vapor refers to gas that comes from a liquid, so it isn’t one of the fundamental states. Energy isn’t itself a state of matter.