STATES OF MATTER
Matter is everything around you. Matter is anything
made of atoms and molecules. Matter is anything
that has mass and takes up space.
RELATION STATE OF MATTER AND
ATOMS
 There are differences in the spacing, motion,
and interaction of atoms and molecules that
make up solids, liquids, and gases.
The particles of a gas (atoms or molecules) are
much farther apart than the atoms or molecules of
a liquid or a solid. Because atoms or molecules of a
gas are so far apart they rarely come in contact
with each other. In solids and liquids, the atoms or
molecules are packed closely together.
 Although the motion of atoms or molecules
of a solid is severely restricted, the atoms or
molecules are constantly moving back and
forth in all directions with respect to a fixed
position. In liquids, the motion of the atoms
or molecules is limited but the atoms or
molecules can still move rapidly back and
forth with respect to a fixed point, around a
fixed point, and past each other from one
fixed point to another. Atoms or molecules of
a gas move freely and spread out throughout
the container they occupy.
 Similar to the pushes and pulls between
magnets, atoms or molecules also push
and pull on each other.
 In solids, the atoms or molecules pull strongly
on each other and are linked together in rigid
structures.
 In liquids, the atoms or molecules pull less
strongly on each other, are more loosely
connected, and form less rigid structures.
 In gases, the pull between atoms or molecules
is so weak that they do not form structures.
Solids are hard because the atoms or molecules
are linked together tightly in rigid structures, not
because the individual atoms or molecules are
hard.
The atoms or molecules of liquids can easily
move past each other from one fixed point to
another but do not move apart from one
another and that this is why liquids flow and take
the shape of their container but solids do not.
Gases can be compressed because the atoms or
molecules are not as close together as they
could be, not because the individual atoms or
molecules are soft.

CONCLUDING….
SOLID
 Particles are very close
together
 Particles move around
a fixed point
 Have a definite shape
 Have a definite volume
LIQUID
 Particles slide past
each other
 Takes the shape of its
container
 Has a definite volume
Gas
 Particles lose contact
with one another
 Particles move very
fast
 Has no definite shape
 Has no definite volume
TWO STATES OF MATTER THEY
DIDN’T TEACH YOU ABOUT IN
SCHOOL…
UNTIL NOW!
Plasma
Bose-Einstein
Condensate
We all know about:
SOLIDS
Lower
Temperature
LIQUIDS
GASES
Higher
Temperature
But what happens if you raise the
temperature to super-high levels…
between
1000°C and 1,000,000,000°C ?
Will everything
just be a gas?
NO!
If the gas is made up of particles which carry an
electric charge (“ionized particles”), but the
entire gas as a whole has no electric charge,
and if the density is not too high, then we
can get
The 4th state of matter:
PLASMA
Some places where plasmas are found…
1. Flames
2. Lightning
3. Aurora (Northern Lights)
4. Neon lights
5. Stars
Stars make up 99% of the total matter in the Universe.
Therefore, 99% of everything that exists in the entire
Universe is in the plasma state.
The Sun is an example of a star in its
plasma state
6. Clouds of gas and dust around stars
6
So now we know all about
four states of matter:
SOLIDS
Lower
Temperature
LIQUIDS
GASES
PLASMAS
(only for low density
ionized gases)
Higher
Temperature
But now what happens if you lower the
temperature way, way, down to
100 nano degrees above
“Absolute Zero” (-273°C)
Will everything
just be a frozen
solid?
Not Necessarily!
In 1924 (82 years ago), two scientists, Albert
Einstein and Satyendra Bose predicted a 5th
state of matter which would occur at very
very low temperatures.
Einstein
Bose
+
Finally, in 1995 (only 11
years ago!), Wolfgang
Ketterle and his team of
graduate students (like me)
discovered the 5th state of
matter for the first time.
Ketterle and his
students
The 5th state of matter:
Bose-Einstein Condensate
In a Bose-Einstein condensate, atoms can no
longer bounce around as individuals.
Instead they must all act in exactly the same way,
and you can no longer tell them apart!
Here is a picture a computer took of
Bose-Einstein Condensation
The big peak happens
when all the atoms
act exactly the same
way!
(We can’t see
Bose-Einstein
condensation
with our eyes
because the
atoms are too
small)
Some other computer images of Bose-Einstein Condensates…
To really understand BoseEinstein condensate you
need to know
Quantum Physics
In 2002, Ketterle and two other scientists
received the highest award in science for
discovering Bose-Einstein condensate:
The Nobel Prize
The five states of matter:
BOSEEINSTEIN
SOLIDS
CONDENSATE
Lower
Temperature
PLASMAS
LIQUIDS
GASES
(only for low
density ionized
gases)
Higher
Temperature