Matter

MATTER is anything that has mass.It includes everything from natural substances,such as minerals or living organisms,to synthetic materials.Matter can exist in three distinct states - solid,liquid and gas.A solid is rigid and retains its shape.A liquid is  fluid,has definite volume,and will take the shape of its container.A gas also Fluid fills a space,so its volume will be the same as the volume of the container..Most substances can exist as a solid,a liquid or a gas:the state is determined by temperature.At very high temperatures,matter becomes plasma,often considered to be a fourth state of mater.All matter is composed of microscopic particles,such as atoms and molecules.This arrangement and interaction of these particles give a substance its physical and chemical properties.,by which matter can be identified.There is a huge variety of matter because particles can arrange themselves in coutless ways,in one substance or by mixing with others.Natural gasses,for example,seems to be a solid but is in fact ,a super cool liquid:the atoms  are not locked into a patter and can flow..Pure substances known as elements combine to form compounds or mixtures.Mixtures called colloids are made up of larger particles of matter suspended in a solid.,liquid,or gas,while a sollution is one substance dissolved in another.