Final answer:
The exploration of a new Earth-like planet would reveal matter in all four physical states: solid (crystalline rocks), liquid (water bodies), gas (atmospheric nitrogen and oxygen), and possibly plasma (ionized gases from volcanic eruptions). These states exist due to observable properties and are influenced by temperature and pressure conditions.
Step-by-step explanation:
If you were to explore a newly discovered planet with atmospheric conditions similar to Earth's, the environment at the planet's surface would likely include matter in all four physical states: solid, liquid, gas, and possibly plasma. One example of a solid might be the presence of crystalline rock structures, which have a definitive shape and volume due to the fixed position of their atoms. A liquid example could include bodies of water, such as lakes or oceans, which have a definite volume but take the shape of their container because the atoms are close together yet can slide over one another.
As for gases, the atmosphere itself, composed of a mixture of gases like nitrogen and oxygen, is a clear example, existing because the particles are far apart and move freely. Finally, if the planet is geologically active, plasma might exist in the form of ionized gases that are present in volcanic eruptions or lightning storms, due to high energy and temperatures causing the atoms to become excited and partially ionized.
Each sample is considered to exist in its state due to observable properties such as shape, volume, and the arrangement of atoms, influenced by the conditions of temperature and pressure on the planet's surface.