Lesson 2 - Water and the Physical States of Matter – Study Sheet
Water, like most substances, can exist in 3 states
How does water
change from one
state to another?
Water –like most
other substances –
changes its state
according to
temperature – the
difference
between hot and
cold
Boiling 
Hot
Liquid  Gas
Vaporization /
Evaporation
Warm
Melting
Solid  Liquid
Fusion
Lukewarm
Cold (cooling) 
Gas Liquid
Freezing 
Liquid Solid
Condensation
Solidification
Lesson 2 – Water and the Physical States of Matter – Study Sheet - Page 1 / 4
Effect
Action
Fusion
Freezing
Evaporation/
Vaporization
Melting
Solidification
Cooling
Condensation
Boiling
Answers:
Fusion - melting // Vaporization/evaporation – boiling //
Solidification – freezing) // Condensation - cooling
Memory check:
Can you match these words in English?
How can the melting point and the freezing point of
water be the same (0°)?
They are the same point starting from different directions. So this
point is a point of equilibrium:
Solid ice
0° C
Liquid water

toward the melting point
freezing
toward the freezing point
melting
Lesson 2 – Water and the Physical States of Matter – Study Sheet - Page 2 / 4
“Growing” crystals
(experiment)
Directions:
•
•
Ingredients:
a cup or small bowl
1/2 cup Epsom salt
(magnesium sulfate),
known in Italy as
“sale inglese”
1/2 cup hot tap
water
(optional) a drop of
food coloring
•
Add the ingredients together in your
bowl or cup.
Stir the solution until all the salt is
dissolved. There may be some crystals
still at the bottom, but that's ok.
Put the cup or bowl in the refrigerator
and let it sit for 3 hours.
Review of Concepts and Vocabulary
Phase change
Action
Thermal change
> or < heat energy
Fusion
Melting
Solidification
Freezing
Evaporation/
Vaporization
Boiling
Condensation
Cooling
Sublimation
Heating
Deposition
Freezing






State
Solid to liquid
Liquid to solid
Liquid to gas
Gas to liquid
Solid to gas
Gas to solid
Lesson 2 – Water and the Physical States of Matter – Study Sheet - Page 3 / 4
When we go from solid to liquid to gas, every time we add
more energy in the form of heat (more molecular movement)
to a substance, it changes its state, if the energy is sufficient.
We have talked about
3 states of matter,
but. . .
Solid
+ energy
Liquid
+ energy
3
?
+ energy
Gas
2
1
4
Take-home
question:
what is the 4th
state of matter
and where can
we find it?
Lesson 2 – Water and the Physical States of Matter – Study Sheet - Page 4 / 4