Properties of solids, liquids and gases

In a nutshell

Solids, liquids and gases are all states of matter. Each state of matter has a different set of properties.

Properties of solids, liquids and gases

The different properties of solids, liquids and gases are described below.

State of matter	properties	examples
Solid	Holds its shape and volume. Can be held easily. To change the shape of a solid it must physically changed (for example by cutting, squashing or pulling).	Paper, brick, plastic, metal fork, sponge, wood
Liquid	Flows downwards. Liquids can be poured. Takes the shape of the container that it is in. The volume of a liquid will not change even if it is moved to a different container.	Water, milk, juice, tea, syrup, lemonade
Gas	Expands filling the shape of any container. Gases can expand and compress. Gases can be poured. Most gases cannot be seen.	Helium, air, oxygen, hydrogen

All of these different properties make up the different types of materials that are seen in our everyday lives.

Example

A material can be transferred easily from one container to another, filling the shape of the new container. When transferred to a larger container the material does not fill the whole container. What state of matter is this material?

The material takes the shape of the containers easily so it cannot be a solid, as solids have a fixed shape.
The new container is not completely filled, so the material cannot expand and is therefore not a gas.
The material must be a liquid as it can take the shape of a container but the volume will not change.