Faculté des Sciences de Gabès LF CH 3

States of Matter
Almost all substances can be classified into three states of matter – solids, liquids and gases.
Each state has different properties. Heating and cooling a substance can cause it to change
state.
The kinetic particle theory explains the properties of the different states of matter. The
particles in solids, liquids and gases have different amounts of energy. They are arranged
differently and move in different ways.
The table below summarises the arrangement and movement of the particles in solids, liquids
and gases, and shows simple diagrams for the arrangement of the particles.

Diagram of particle arrangement and movement

Solids
The table shows some of the properties of solids and why they are like this.
Property Why

Solids have a fixed shape and cannot

The particles cannot move from place to place
flow

Solids cannot be compressed or The particles are close together and have no space to
squashed move into

Liquids
The table shows some of the properties of liquids and why they are like this.
Property Why

Liquids flow and take the shape of their

The particles can move around each other
container
Liquids cannot be compressed or squashed The particles are close together and have no space
 Property Why

to move into

Gases
The table shows some of the properties of gases and why they are like this.
Property Why

Gases flow and completely fill their

The particles can move quickly in all directions
container

The particles are far apart and have space to move

Gases can be compressed or squashed
into

State changes
Substances can exist as a solid, liquid or gas. Converting from one state to another usually
involves heating or cooling.

• Heat must be supplied to a substance for it to melt, evaporate or boil. For example, you
need to heat ice to melt it, and you need to heat water to make steam.
• Heat must be removed from a substance to condense or freeze it. In other words, the
substance must be cooled down.

Under certain conditions, some solids turn straight into a gas when heated. This process is
called sublimation. A good example is solid carbon dioxide, also called ‘dry ice’. At
atmospheric pressure, it turns straight into gaseous carbon dioxide.
Liquid carbon dioxide can only exist under high pressure, such as in fire extinguishers. Iodine
also sublimes - it turns directly from shiny purple-black crystals to a purple vapour when
warmed up.

Changing the pressure

A gas will also liquefy (turn into a liquid) if its pressure is increased enough. This is because the
particles are moved close enough for bonds to form between the particles.
Gas cylinders used for camping stoves and barbecues contain liquefied petroleum gas (LPG)
under high pressure. As soon as the pressure is released, the liquid turns back to a gas.
Quiz
Tick the right answer
1. Which theory describes the arrangement and movement of particles in solids,
liquids and gases?
Theory of relativity Kinetic theory Atomic theory

2. In which state of matter are the particles mostly touching but arranged in a random
way?
Solid Liquid Gas

3. In which state of matter do the particles have the most energy?

Solid Liquid Gas

4. Why can liquids not be compressed easily?

The particles are in a random arrangement The particles are closely packed The
particles are free to move over each other

5. Why do solids have a fixed shape?

The particles are fixed in place The particles are closely packed The particles vibrate

6. What is the name of the change when a liquid becomes a solid?

Melting Boiling Freezing

7. What is sublimation?
When a solid turns into a gas When a gas turns into a solid When a gas turns
into a liquid

8. What eventually happens if energy is continually removed from a liquid?

It boils It evaporates It freezes

9. What eventually happens to a gas if its pressure is increased?

It condenses It evaporates It melts

10. Which of the following will sublime at room temperature and pressure?
Ice Graphite Solid carbon
dioxide (dry ice)

Match the following words with their appropriate definition

1. Squash a. A change of state in which gas becomes liquid by cooling. 1. + ...

b. The characteristics of something. Chemical properties include the
2. Condense reactions a substance can take part in. Physical properties 2. + ...
include colour and boiling point.
c. Crush or squeeze (something) with force so that it becomes flat,
3. Properties 3. + ...
soft, or out of shape

GRAMMAR
Quantifiers with countable/uncountable nouns
We use quantifiers before nouns when we want to give information about the number or
amount of something. Study the table below.

Use with ... Quantifiers and examples

all, any, enough, less, a lot of, lots of, more, most, no, none
of, some
Countable and uncountable Informal: plenty of, heaps of, a load of, loads of, tons of
nouns • We have lots of money to spend at the restaurant.
• None of the boys could speak English.
• Be patient. We have loads of time.
both, each, either, a number of, few, a few, fewer, neither,
several
Informal: a couple of, hundreds of, thousands of, millions of
Countable nouns only
• There were very few girls at the party.
• You have a couple of minutes to finish the exercise.
• That laptop costs hundreds of dollars.
a little, much, a bit of, an amount of
Informal: a great deal of, a good deal of
• We don't have much time left.
Uncountable nouns only
• You will be in a great deal of trouble if you don't finish
your work.
• The criminal had a large amount of cash on him.

Things to remember
• We use few to emphasise that there is a lack of something and a few to mean a
sufficient number of something:
 There were few people at the party so we left right away. (= a lack of
people/not enough people)
 There were a few people at the party so we decided to stay. (= some people)
• We use little to emphasise that there is a lack of something and a little to mean a
sufficient amount of something:
 Hurry up! There is little time left. (= a lack of time/not enough time)
 We have a little time left, so let's continue our conversation. (= some time/enough
time)
• Some is used in positive sentences.
 I've got some apples in my basket and some water in my bottle.
• Any is used in questions and negative sentences. When we use any in a question,
the answer could be 'yes' or 'no'.
 Do you need any help? Yes thanks / No thanks

General vs. Specific Groups

Study how we use the quantifiers `few', `a few', `both', `all', `many', `most' and `much' with
members of specific groups as well as groups in general.

Groups in general Specific groups

If you are talking about members of a group If you are talking about a specific group of
of people or things in general, use a noun people or things, we can also add of +
after the quantifier: group:
• Few people know the answer to the • Few of the people at the party were
question. enjoying themselves.
• All tigers are dangerous. • All of the apples were rotten.
• Most people are not rich enough to buy • He has spent all of the money.
a mansion. • Jake has three brothers. Have you met
any of them?

Things to remember
• With specific noun groups, you must say the (or his, these, our, etc.) after of:
 Most of the people who live here are unemployed. NOT: Most of people who
live here are unemployed.
• In the phrases all of the ... and both of the ..., you can leave out of:
 All of the people were happy with the proposal. = All the people were
happy with the proposal.

LET’S PRACTICE

Practice 1 Circle the right alternative

1. This bag is very heavy because it has got __________ books in it.
A) a little B) a lot of C) a few
2. 2. Sarah and Ahmed have got _________ friends from America.
A) any B) much C) a few
4. Have we got _________milk in the fridge, mother?
A) many B) a few C) any
5. How ______money have you got in your purse?
A) many B) any C) much
6. We have got ________ apples and ________ oranges in the fridge.
A) a little / some B) many / a little C) a few / some
7. Are there ________ children in the school garden?
A) a little B) any C) much
8. My teacher hasn’t got _________ 6th grade student this year.
A) some B) any C) a few
9. Sam, ____ there _____ milk in the fridge?
A) are / any B) is / any C) is / a few
10. How _______ cheese has she got in the basket?
A) many B) much C) any

Practice 2 Choose between a little, a lot of, a few, few, fewer, many and much.
 DON’T CALL US, WE’LL CALL YOU!
Two years ago I moved to a new neighbourhood. There seem to be very _________ people in
this area who are without telephones, so I expected to get a new phone quickly. I applied for
one as soon as I moved into my new house. ‘We aren’t supplying _________ new phones in
your area’, an engineer told me. ‘_________ people want new phones at the moment and the
company is employing _________ engineers that last year so as to save money. A new phone
won’t cost you _________ money, but it will take _________ time. We can’t do anything for
you before December. ‘You need _________ patience if you’re waiting for a new phone and
you need _________ friends whose phones you can use as well. Fortunately, I had both.
December came and went, but there was no sign of a phone. I went to the company’s local
office to protest. ‘They told me I’d have a phone by December,’ I protested. ‘Which year?’ The
assistant asked.

Practice 3

Make statements about the people/things using quantifiers in the left box, like in the example.

Quantifiers People/things
my classmates lawyers sugar
both any all many most much little my neighbours Smartphones vegetables
a little few a few some any my free time my friends politicians
clothes

1. All of my classmates come from the same country as me.

2. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
4. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
6. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
7. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
8. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
9. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
10. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .