States of Matter (Oxford AQA IGCSE Combined Science Double Award)

Revision Note

States of Matter

  • All matter is made up of very small particles, or atoms

  • Kinetic theory is a model that describes the arrangement and movement of particles in a substance

  • It can be used to explain

    • The different states of matter e.g. solids, liquids and gases

    • Physical properties e.g. differences in density

Solids

  • In a solid the particles:

    • Are closely packed together

    • Vibrate about fixed positions

  • The particles in a solid have the least kinetic energy

    • Therefore the particles cannot move very much

    • The particles are bound by the intermolecular forces of attraction

  • The density of particles in a solid is high

    • The particles are tightly packed together

  • Solids have:

    • A definite shape (they are rigid)

    • A definite volume

Particle arrangement in solids

Arrows inside the particles in the solid show that they vibrate about their fixed positions
Particles in a solid are closely packed together.

Liquids

  • In a liquid the particles:

    • Are closely packed together

    • Can flow over one another

  • The particles in a liquid have more kinetic energy than the particles in a solid

    • Therefore they can flow

    • The particles have enough energy to partially overcome the intermolecular forces of attraction

  • The density of particles in a liquid is medium

    • There is generally more space between the particles than in a solid

  • Liquids have:

    • No definite shape – they flow and will take the shape of their container

    • A definite volume

Particle arrangement in liquids

Liquid particles are arranged close together in a square container. Arrows from some particles indicate more movement than for solid particles
Particles in a liquid have slightly more energy than in a solid and are packed close together

Gases

  • In a gas the particles:

    • Are far apart

    • Move randomly

  • The particles in a gas have a lot of kinetic energy

    • Therefore they are constantly moving and colliding with each other and the container walls

    • The particles have enough energy to overcome the intermolecular forces of attraction

  • Gases have:

    • No definite shape – they will take the shape of their container

    • No fixed volume – if placed in an evacuated container they will expand to fill the container

  • The density of particles in a gas is low

    • There is a lot of space between the particles

  • Gases are highly compressible, this is because:

    • There are large gaps between the particles

    • It is easier to push the particles closer together than in solids or liquids

Particle arrangement in gases

Gas particles are far apart from each other. Arrows pointing away from all the particles indicate that they can move randomly in all directions
Particles in a gas have a lot of energy and are spaced far apart

Solids, liquids and gases

A solid shape, a liquid in a container and a gas in a container, for  IGCSE & GCSE Physics revision notes
Diagram showing the three states of matter in terms of shape and volume

Solid, Liquid, Gas Summary Table

State

Solid

Liquid

Gas

Density

High

Medium

Low

Arrangement of Particles

Regular

Random

Random

Movement of Particles

Vibrate around a fixed position

Move around each other

Move quickly in all directions

Energy of Particles

Low energy

Greater energy

Highest energy

Examiner Tips and Tricks

Remember that the strength of the intermolecular forces of attraction are different for different substances, but for a given substance, they are the same for all states of matter. It is the energy of the particles that changes (with temperature) which determines which state of matter the substance is in.

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