Final answer:
The four states of matter—solid, liquid, gas, and plasma—are differentiated by their energy, particle motion, and phase transitions. Solids have particles that vibrate in place, whereas liquids allow particles to move around each other. Gases have freely moving particles that spread to fill their container, and plasma is an ionized gas with even greater energy.
Step-by-step explanation:
In chemistry, we differentiate the four states of matter—solid, liquid, gas, and plasma—using energy, particle motion, and phase transitions.
Solid-In a solid, particles are tightly packed in a fixed structure and vibrate in place. This state has the least amount of energy among the four states. Solids do not easily change shape and have definitive volume and shape.
Liquid-Liquids have more energy than solids. Particles can move around one another, which allows liquids to flow and take the shape of their container, but they maintain a constant volume.
Gas-Gases have even more energy. Particles are widely spaced and move freely at high speeds, which allows gases to expand to fill the container they are in.
Plasma-Plasma is similar to a gas, but it has even more energy and consists of charged particles. It's commonly found in stars, including the sun, and can be created artificially in applications like neon signs.
Phase Transitions-As you heat a solid, its particles vibrate more vigorously until it reaches a melting point and transitions to a liquid. Heating a liquid increases the particle motion until it reaches boiling point and becomes a gas. Removing heat can cause the reverse transitions: gas to liquid (condensation) and liquid to solid (freezing).