What Is The 3 Faces Of Matter?

The three faces of matter are solids, liquids and gases. There is only one common material on Earth that is found in all three phases of matter and this is water.

When it's liquid form, water is what we are familiar with in our everyday lives. This is what fills our seas, rivers, lakes and streams and runs through our taps.

When frozen, water becomes a solid form and is extremely strong. When it is heated, water then evaporates to form a gas.

• Gas

Gases are made up from molecules which will disperse to fill any space available. If the gas is made from just one type of molecule, it is known as a 'pure gas'. An example of this would be oxygen.

Gas can also be made from a variety of different types of molecules such as carbon dioxide; which is made up of a combination of oxygen and carbon molecules.

• Liquids

Liquid is a fluid and has the ability to flow. It will take the shape of a container but will not spread out to fill any space available like a gas will. This is because the particles are bound but not so firmly they cannot be separated, but not so loosely that they will disperse completely. Liquids are almost as dense as solids.

• Solids

Solids are defined by the fact that they have a rigid structure and the shape and volume cannot be altered. The atoms are bound very tightly and this is why they cannot be dispersed or altered.

There are different classes of solids which include:

Metals

Minerals

Ceramics and glass ceramics

Organic solids (such as wax and polymers)

Wood

Composite materials

Semiconductors

Nanomaterials

Biomaterials