States of Matter

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Matter is defined as anything that occupies space and can be perceived by one or more senses; a physical body, a physical substance, or the universe as a whole. There are four distinct states of matter: solids, liquids, gases, and plasma. There are other states of matter such as Bose-Einstein condesates and neutron degenerate matter, but those states can only be found under extreme conditions.
These phases can go from one to another when affected by certain things, which is known as phase changes. To switch from a solid to a liquid, the solid must melt. On the other hand, to switch from a liquid to a solid, freezing must occur. Furthermore, to switch from a liquid to a gas, a process known as evaporation must take place. In contrast, to go from a gas to a liquid, condensation must take place. Furthermore, sublimation must take place for a solid to turn to a gas. Inversely, deposition must occur for a gas to change to a solid.
Melting takes place when a solid gets enough energy to melt. When it gets enough energy it is called the melting point. An example of melting would be snow turning into water. The reverse of the melting process is called freezing. Liquid water freezes and becomes solid ice when the molecules lose a lot of energy. When a solid goes to a gas and skips the liquid, sublimation occurs. The best example of sublimation would be dry ice. Deposition is when a gas goes directly to a solid without going through the liquid phase. An example of deposition is when water vaper turns to tiny crystals.
The four main states of matter can be organized by how fast there particles move. The slowest type will be solids. Solids particles are packed close and vibrate in place. The second slowest phase of matter is water. The par...

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...or plasma.

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