Lesson: Solids, Liquids, and Gases Science

In this lesson, we learn how to identify the three common states of matter and describe and compare the properties of solids, liquids, and gases.

Lesson Plan

Students will be able to

name the three main states of matter,
identify the state of matter from images showing the arrangement of particles,
describe that molecules are in continuous motion and how this differs between states of matter,
explain that there are intermolecular spaces between molecules,
recognize that there are attractive forces between molecules,
recognize how the attractive forces differ between solids, liquids, and gases,
describe how the physical properties differ between solids, liquids, and gases.

Lesson Worksheet

Q1:

A solid, a liquid, and a gas are placed into separate but identical closed containers. The solid, the liquid, and the gas are composed of exactly the same number of particles.

In which container will the particles occupy the largest volume?

The density of a substance can be calculated by dividing its mass by its volume. Assuming the solid, the liquid, and the gas have the same mass, which has the greatest density?

Q2:

The table below describes the shape and volume for each state of matter. What is the correct pairing between each column and state of matter?

Q3:

Which of the diagrams below shows the typical arrangement of particles in a solid?