Matter — States of Matter

Subject: Science and Technology | Topic: Matter | Level: Age 9 (Kenya)

Everything around you is made of matter. Matter is anything that takes up space and has weight. Matter comes in different forms called states. The three common states you will meet are:

• Solids — keep their shape (e.g., a stone, your school book, a mango).
• Liquids — take the shape of the container (e.g., water, milk, oil, tea/“chai”).
• Gases — spread out and fill all the space available (e.g., air, steam from boiling water).

How particles look in each state (simple picture)

Imagine tiny balls (particles) that make up matter. Here are three small drawings to help you see the difference:

Changing from one state to another

Matter can change state when it gets hot or cold. Here are the main changes you will see:

• Melting: solid → liquid (ice melts to water). Example: ice in your soda melts on a hot day.
• Freezing: liquid → solid (water → ice). Example: water in a freezer becomes ice.
• Evaporation: liquid → gas (water becomes vapour). Example: puddles dry up after the sun shines.
• Condensation: gas → liquid (vapour becomes drops). Example: dew on grass in the morning or drops on a cold bottle.
• Boiling: a fast type of evaporation when a liquid is heated (adult supervision needed). Example: water boiling for chai on a jiko or kettle produces steam.

Everyday examples (Kenyan context)

• Boiling water for tea (chai) — liquid water makes steam (gas).
• Ice cream from the freezer — liquid milk becomes solid ice cream.
• Puddles after rainy season — water evaporates in the sun.
• Smoke from a jiko — tiny hot gases and particles spread into the air.

Simple safe experiments (do with an adult)

1. Ice melting: Put an ice cube on a plate and watch it turn to water. Talk about melting.
2. Evaporation: Pour a little water in a shallow dish and leave it in the sun. Check after an hour — the water level goes down.
3. Condensation: Hold a cold metal spoon near warm steam (adult holds spoon). You may see drops form on the spoon.

Short glossary

Matter — anything that takes up space.
State — the form of matter (solid, liquid, gas).
Particle — tiny bit that makes matter (too small to see without a microscope).
Evaporation — change from liquid to gas.
Condensation — change from gas to liquid.

Review questions (try these)

1. Give two examples of solids and two examples of liquids at home.
2. What happens when ice melts? (Use the words solid and liquid.)
3. Why can we not always see gases like air?

Good job! Ask your teacher or parent to help with the experiments. Keep observing the things around you — science is everywhere in Kenya and the world.