The Building Blocks of Everything

Matter is anything that takes up space and has mass. This means that everything you can touch, see, smell, or even taste is made up of matter! Matter is all around us—your desk, your pet, your lunch, and even the air you breathe.

States of Matter

Matter commonly exists in three states:

• Solid: Keeps its shape and volume (like an ice cube).
• Liquid: Takes the shape of its container but keeps the same volume (like water).
• Gas: Fills its container and can be compressed (like the air in a balloon).

Scientists have even discovered other states, like plasma and Bose-Einstein condensates, but you'll mostly see solids, liquids, and gases in daily life.

Tiny Particles: Atoms and Molecules

Matter is made of atoms, which are the smallest units of ordinary matter. Atoms can join together to form molecules. For instance, two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom make a water molecule (\(H_2O\))!

Why Does Matter Matter?

Understanding what matter is helps us explain why things behave the way they do—why ice melts, why water boils, and why a basketball bounces.