Changes of State: Solids, Liquids, and Gases

Water as a liquid, solid and gas. Click on image for full size ( 18K GIF) L.Gardiner/Windows to the Universe

A snowman, glass of water and steam might look very different but they are made of the same stuff! Just like any substance, water has three different forms, called states: solid, liquid and gas. The state will change when the substance is heated.

A snowman is made of snowflakes which are ice, the solid state of water. An ice crystal has a fixed volume and shape and is unable to flow.

When a snowman is heated, it turns into water, a liquid. As a liquid, water has a fixed volume, but its shape changes to fill the shape of its container.

When water is heated, it turns into a gas. As a gas, steam does not have a fixed volume or shape. It expands to fill the shape and volume of its container.