Solids hold a definite shape without a container, liquids conform to the shape of their container, and gases not only conform to a container, but also expand to fill it.Īnd there's variety amidst these three: A crystalline solid, for example, has all its atoms lined up in exactly the precise order in perfect symmetry, while a quasicrystal solid fills all its space without the tightly regulated structure. After all, during our daily lives we encounter some variety of solids, liquids and gases. Short videos like these are a great way for student to see what's involved in a project or activity before starting.Before scientists discovered the new state of matter last week, we were basically all used to just three states of matter. The following videos are from the activities mentioned above.

How Do Melting Polar Ice Caps Affect Sea Levels?: explore the change from solid to liquid in the context of polar ice caps.

Why Soda Fizzes - Boyle's Law Demonstration: use air- and water-filled balloons to explore Boyle's law and the connection between gas volume and pressure.

Oobleck: A Recipe for a Mesmerizing Mixture: explore how a non-Newtonian fluid behaves as both solid and a liquid.

Measure Up with a Homemade Thermometer: make a simple thermometer and explore how temperature affects liquids and gases.

Measure the Pressure: build a barometer to measure atmospheric pressure and explore how temperature affects gases.

How to Harvest Water from Fog: set up a device to capture fog and explore the change from gas (water vapor) to liquid (water).

Homemade Slushies: explore changes from liquid to solid while mixing up a tasty treat.

Go With the Flow: use the task of pouring from a full container to explore the behavior of fluids.

Colorful Patterns in Melting Ice: colorful science activity helps students visualize and explore changes from solid to liquid.The following hands-on science activities from Science Buddies' library of STEM Activities for Kids can be used with students in or out of the classroom to explore states of matter science:

Free STEM Activities to Teach about States of Matter

What are the states of matter