States of Matter Vocabulary Cards

1. Matter (Noun)
What physical objects are made up of.
 The amount of space in an object.
 “This water bottle and the water in it is
made up of matter.”

2. State of Matter (Noun)
 The forms that matter can be: solid,
liquid, and gas.
 “Objects can be found in three states of
matter: solid, liquid, and gas.”

3. Solid (Noun)
 A state of matter with a definite shape
and volume.
 “This table is made of wood, which is a
solid.”

4. Liquid(Noun)
 A state of matter with a definite volume
but no definite shape.
 “Water is the most abundant liquid.”

5. Gas(Noun)
 A state of matter with no definite volume
and shape.
 “Oxygen is one gas that we find in our
atmosphere.”

6. Particle (Noun)
 A small part of matter.
 “Even if we can’t see them, the air we breath
in has many particles.”

7. Expand(Verb)
To grow in size.
 “When matter is heated, it expands.”

8. Contract (Verb)
To grow smaller in size.
 “When matter is cooled, its particles
contract.”

9. Increase(Verb / Noun)
 Verb: To grow in size, amount, intensity, or
degree.
 Noun: the act of growing in size, amount,
intensity, or degree.
 “When heated, particles of solid objects increase
their movement have an increase of vibration.”

10. Decrease(Verb / Noun)
 Verb: To become smaller or fewer in size,
amount, intensity, or degree.
 Noun: The act of becoming smaller or fewer in
size, amount, intensity, or degree.
 “When solids are cooled, they experience a
decrease in movement because their particles also
decrease their vibration.”

11. Shrink (Verb)
To become or make smaller in size or
amount.
 “When most solids are cooled, they shrink.”

12. Boil (Verb)
To reach the temperature at which
liquids turn into gas.
 “Water boils at a temperature of 100 degrees
Celsius.”

13. Boiling point (Noun)
 The temperature where liquid turns into
gas.
 “Water quickly reaches its boiling point.”

14. Steam(Noun)
 The gaseous form of water when it is
heated.
 “Water turns into steamwhen it is boiled.”

15. Evaporate (Verb) / Vapor (Noun)
 Evaporate: To turn from liquid into vapor.
 Vapor: Matter that is suspended in the air.
 “When water evaporates, it becomes vapor.”

16. Freeze(Verb)
When liquid becomes a solid when it is
cooled to a very low temperature.
 “You freeze water to turn it into ice.”

17. Condense (Verb) / Condensation (Noun)
 Condense: To change from gas to liquid.
 Condensation: The transformation of gas to
liquid.
 “When there is condensation, steam condenses
into water droplets.”

18. Sublimation (Noun)
When a solid becomes a gas or a gas
becomes a solid without becoming a
liquid first.
 “If you look closely, ice and snow undergo
sublimation below 0 degrees Celsius.”

19. Melt(Verb)
When a solid becomes a liquid when it is
heated to a high temperature.
 “Ice melts when you put it over a fire.”

20. Melting point (Noun)
 The temperature at which a solid will
melt.
 “The melting point of ice is 0 degrees
Celsius.”

21. Vibrate(Verb)
To move continuously and quickly.
 “Particles in a solid vibrate faster as they are
heated.”

22. Heat (Verb)
To make an object hot.
 “Heat the water to see it boil.”

23. Cool (Verb)
To make or become less hot.
 “Cool the water to see it turn into ice.”

24. Compress (Verb)
To flatten, squeeze, or press an object
with pressure.
 “Some soft solids become harder when you
compress them.”

25. Volume(Noun)
 The amount of space a substance or object
takes up.
 “Gases take up a lot of volume and still stay
light.”

26. Shape(Noun)
 The form or appearance of a substance or
object.
 “Liquids take the shape of the containers
they are in.”

27. Fluid (Noun)
A substance with no permanent shape and
is easily affected by pressure.
 “Most, if not all, liquids and gases are fluid.”

28. Packed(Verb)
To put or have many things in a container.
 “The particles of a solid are packed
together.”

29. Viscosity (Noun)
 The characteristic of a substance to resist
flow.
 “Honey has a higher viscosity than oil.”

30. Definite / Indefinite (Adjectives)
 Definite: When something is clear or sure.
 Indefinite: When something is unclear or
unsure.
 “Solids have a definite shape while liquids and
gases have an indefinite one.”