Do you know what water, air, and rocks all have in common?

你知道水、空氣和岩石有什麼共同點嗎？

They are made of matter!

它們是由物質構成的！

Matter is someting that takes up space. Now, you might be wondering why they all look so

物質是佔據空間的東西。現在，你可能想知道為什麼它們看起來都那麼

different if they are made of the same thing, but the truth is that EVERYTHING around you

如果它們是由同一種東西製成的，那麼它們就會有所不同，但事實是，你周圍的所有東西

is made of matter, just in different shapes and forms. Matter is made of tiny particles

物質是由物質構成的，只是形狀和形態各異而已。物質由微小的顆粒組成

called atoms.

稱為原子。

Matter can be grouped into three main states: solid, liquid, or gas. To figure out which

物質可分為三種主要狀態：固態、液態和氣態。要想知道哪種

state of matter something is in, we need to examine its properties. A property is the

我們需要研究物質的屬性。屬性是指

way that something is, that we can measure.The physical properties we will look at to determine

我們將通過觀察物理特性來確定

state of matter are shape, mass, and volume. Mass is the amount of matter in an object.

物質的狀態包括形狀、品質和體積。品質是指物體中的物質含量。

Volume is how much space that matter takes up.

體積是指物質所佔的空間大小。

Solids are easy to recognize. Rocks, apples, pencils, and plants are all examples of solid

固體很容易辨認。岩石、蘋果、鉛筆和植物都是固體的例子。

objects. A solid object has a definite shape that doesn't change when you move it or put

物體。實體物體有明確的形狀，在移動或放置時不會改變。

it in a container. They also have a consistent mass and volume. This is because the atoms

容器中。它們的品質和體積也是一致的。這是因為原子

in a solid object are packed closely together so they do not move around. A solid will change

在固體物體中，它們緊密地擠在一起，是以不會移動。固體會發生以下變化

shape only if forced, for instance, if it is broken or smashed.

只有在被迫的情況下，例如被打破或砸碎時，才會出現這種形狀。

If you look around, you can find many examples of solid objects.

環顧四周，你會發現許多固體物體的例子。

Liquid is the next state of matter. Liquids have a definite volume and mass, but they

液體是物質的下一種狀態。液體有一定的體積和品質，但它們

do not have a definite shape. The atoms in liquid are still close together, but unlike

沒有明確的形狀。液體中的原子仍然緊密相連，但不同於

the atoms in a solid, they can move around. This allows the matter in a liquid to flow.

固體中的原子可以四處移動。這使得液體中的物質可以流動。

Because liquids don't have their own shape, they take their shape from their containers.

因為液體沒有自己的形狀，它們的形狀來自容器。

The same amount of liquid may look very different in a glass and spilled on the floor.

同樣分量的液體在玻璃杯中和灑在地板上的樣子可能截然不同。

You can find examples of liquids around you, too. Water, milk, and juice are just some

你也可以在身邊找到液體的例子。水、牛奶和果汁就是其中的一些

of the liquids you might find.

的液體。

The third state of matter is gas. Gasses have a definite mass, but they do not have a definite

物質的第三種狀態是氣體。氣體有一定的品質，但沒有一定的

shape or volume. Like liquids, gasses take the shape of their containers. Unlike liquids,

形狀或體積。與液體一樣，氣體的形狀取決於其容器。與液體不同、

gasses will spread out to completely fill the container they are in. If a gas is not

氣體會擴散開來，完全充滿它們所在的容器。如果氣體沒有

in a container, it will keep spreading out indefinitely. This is because the atoms in

在一個容器中，它會無限地擴散。這是因為

a gas are farther apart than atoms in a solid or a liquid, and so they can move freely.

氣體中的原子之間的距離比固體或液體中的原子之間的距離遠，是以它們可以自由移動。

The air you breathe is an example of a gas. You might have noticed that you can't really

您呼吸的空氣就是氣體的一個例子。您可能已經注意到，您無法真正

see air. Often gasses are invisible - but they are still there. There are many different

看到空氣。氣體通常是看不見的，但它們仍然存在。有許多不同的

types of gasses in earth's atmosphere, like oxygen, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, helium,

地球大氣中的各類氣體，如氧氣、氮氣、二氧化碳和氦氣、

and water vapor.

和水蒸氣。

Sometimes matter can change from one state to another. Water is a very good example of

有時，物質可以從一種狀態轉變為另一種狀態。水就是一個很好的例子

this. When water is frozen into ice, it is a solid. When it melts back into water, it

這。當水凍結成冰時，它是固體。當它重新融化成水時，它

is a liquid. When water evaporates into water vapor, it becomes a gas.

是一種液體。當水蒸發成水蒸氣時，它就變成了氣體。

Matter in all its states is everywhere. See if you can find solids, liquids, and gasses

各種狀態的物質無處不在。看看能否找到固體、液體和氣體

around you!

在你周圍！