State of matter
State of Matter
A State of Matter is one of the distinct forms in which matter can exist. The four fundamental states of matter observable in everyday life are solid, liquid, gas, and plasma. Other states, such as Bose-Einstein condensates and fermions, can only be produced in the laboratory.
Solid[edit | edit source]
A Solid is characterized by structural rigidity and resistance to changes of shape or volume. Unlike a liquid, a solid object does not flow to take on the shape of its container, nor does it expand to fill the entire volume available to it like a gas.
Liquid[edit | edit source]
A Liquid is a nearly incompressible fluid that conforms to the shape of its container but retains a (nearly) constant volume independent of pressure. The volume is definite if the temperature and pressure are constant.
Gas[edit | edit source]
A Gas is a compressible fluid. Not only will a gas conform to the shape of its container but it will also expand to fill the container.
Plasma[edit | edit source]
Plasma is one of the four fundamental states of matter, and was first described by chemist Irving Langmuir in the 1920s. Unlike these three states of matter, plasma does not exist freely on the Earth's surface under normal conditions.
Other states[edit | edit source]
Other states of matter, such as Bose-Einstein condensates and fermions, can only be produced in the laboratory. They are of interest primarily in the context of theoretical physics.
See also[edit | edit source]
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Contributors: Prab R. Tumpati, MD
