What are the three states of matter?

• A. Solid, liquid, gas
• B. Solid, gas, plasma
• C. Gas, plasma, liquid
• D. Plasma, liquid, solid

Answer: (A)

Matter exists in three common forms that describe how closely its particles are held together and how they move. In a solid, particles are tightly packed and vibrate in place, giving it a definite shape and volume. In a liquid, particles are less tightly bound and can flow past one another, so it has a definite volume but takes the shape of its container. In a gas, particles are far apart and move freely, so it has neither a fixed shape nor a fixed volume and will expand to fill its space. Plasma is a high-energy, ionized state where electrons are stripped from atoms; it behaves like a gas but under extreme conditions and is typically considered a fourth state rather than one of the three basics. That’s why the standard trio is solid, liquid, and gas.