Solid, Liquid, Gas
- Chemistry
- Ages 6–8 · Grades 1–2
- Hands-on experiment
What you’ll find out
- Matter comes in solids, liquids and gases.
- Solids hold their shape; liquids take the shape of the container.
- Heating and cooling can change which one it is.
No sign-up and no real names. In the lesson you check your understanding as you read, run the experiment yourself, and practise until it sticks.
Three kinds of stuff
Ice is hard and keeps its own shape. We call that a solid. Water pours and takes the shape of whatever cup you put it in. We call that a liquid. Steam spreads out and fills the whole room. We call that a gas.
Heat can change it
Leave ice in a warm room and it melts into water. Heat that water and it turns into steam. Let the steam cool and it turns back into water. It is the same stuff the whole time — only warmer or cooler.
Curriculum links: NGSS 2-PS1-1