States of Matter

There are four states of matter in the universe. Most things we encounter in our daily lives are in the form of solids, liquids, or gases. Although plasmas are the most dominant constituent of the universe as a whole, we are less likely to encounter them. These four states of matter are divided based on the way the constituent molecules behave with each other.

Example: Water

	As a solid, water takes the form of ice. Ice is made up of neutrally charged atoms arranged in a hexagonal pattern that forms a solid. Because the molecules have very little energy, they stay fairly close together and fixed to each other, forming a solid; something that holds a defined shape and volume.
	As a liquid, water takes its drinkable form. The molecules have a little more energy, but are still bound to each other, and move relative to each other at slow speeds. The liquid has a fixed volume, but no constant shape. It changes shape to fit whatever container you put it in.
	As a gas, water takes the form of steam. In steam, molecules have enough energy to be widely separated, move around freely at high speeds. Because the molecules are not bound to each other, a gas has no fixed shape or fixed volume.
	So what is plasma? Plasma is a gas or vapor in which some of the atoms or molecules are ionized. Plasmas are conductive assemblies of charged particles that exhibit collective effects.