The distinct forms in which matter can exist, described by its compressibility behaviour and structural rigidity.
The five most typical states of matter are:
Solid | Fluid | Plasma | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
Supercritical Fluid | Liquid | Gas |
The Liquid, Gas and Supercritical Fluid are combined under the term Fluid.
The process of changing the state from one to another is called Phase Transition.
Fig. 1. Pressure-Temperature diagram showing the different non-ionized states of matter |
See also