There are four observable states of matter: solid, liquid, gas, and plasma.
Solid
In the solid state of matter, particles are closely packed together. Tables, chairs, bread, and glass are among the examples of solid materials with definite shapes. In addition, there are solids that can take the shape of the container they are in such as salt, rice, and nuts.
Liquid
There are spaces between the particles of liquid matter. They have a fluid structure and can easily take the shape of the container they are placed in. Their forms are unknown and they are incompressible. Some examples of liquid substances are water, mineral water, cologne, coffee, and fruit juice.
Gas
Particles of gaseous matter are much more sparse than particles of both liquid and solid matter. This state of matter is compressible. Its volume and mass are unknown. Oxygen, nitrogen, helium, perfume, air fresheners, and hair sprays are examples of gaseous substances. The best-known example is helium gas which is used in balloons.
Plasma
Matter can also be found in the form of plasma in the universe. Plasma is the ionization of gas due to its reaction with energy. Plasma substances do not have a definite shape that they occupy in the universe. Their masses and volumes are unknown. All the stars in the solar system are examples of plasma substances.
