Understanding States of Matter – Worksheet

Name: Date:

Understanding States of Matter

1. In the boxes below, draw what it would look like if a solid cube, a liquid, and a gas of the
same volume were placed in their own balloon.

Solid Liquid Gas

2. Describe your illustration of the gas. Refer to its shape, volume, and mass.

3. In the box below, draw a picture of how the atoms or molecules in the balloon
be arranged.

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Understanding States of Matter – Worksheet

Name: Date:

4. If the solid cube were ice, what would happen if that balloon was heated to the
temperature of a hot summer’s day? Refer to the state of matter of the substance and to
its shape, volume, and mass.

5. a a gas a as a a
state of matter of the substance and to its shape, volume, and mass.

6. Your friend wants to have a party in a park on a hot sunny day. They want to decorate the
s a s a s a a a gg s s a s as
the balloons so they will last all day. Explain your decision using your knowledge of states
of matter and how these can be changed.

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Understanding States of Matter – Worksheet

Answers
1. In the boxes below, draw what it would look like if a solid cube, a liquid, and a gas of the
same volume were placed into their own balloon.

Solid Liquid Gas

Cube holds its shape inside All the liquid sits at the Gas is depicted as taking up
the balloon. bottom of the balloon, taking the whole space inside the
the shape of the balloon. balloon.

2. Describe your illustration of the gas. Refer to its shape, volume, and mass.
The gas would fill all of the available space in the balloon. It would expand out,
taking the shape of the balloon. Because it spreads out, the volume of the gas
would increase. Its mass would stay the same.

3. In the box below, draw a picture of how the atoms or molecules in the liquid balloon would
be arranged.
The molecules should be drawn to show some space between them and an ability
to flow past each other.

4. If the solid cube were ice, what would happen if that balloon was heated to the
temperature of a hot summer’s day? Refer to the state of matter of the substance and its
shape, volume, and mass.
The ice would melt and become liquid water. Its shape would change to that of
the balloon, but its mass and volume would remain the same.

5. a a a gas as a a
state of matter of the substance and its shape, volume, and mass.
The gas would condense. Depending on the type of gas, it might become a liquid
or freeze into a solid. The shape of the gas would change depending on its state
of matter, but it would still be decided by the shape of the balloon. The volume of
the gas would decrease, and the balloon would shrink in size. The mass would be
the same, regardless of the state of matter or temperature.

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Understanding States of Matter – Worksheet

Answers (Continued)
6. Your friend wants to have a party in a park on a hot sunny day. They want to decorate the
s a s a s a a gg s s a s as
balloons so they will last all day. Explain your decision using your knowledge of states of
matter and how these can be changed.
The balloons would last the longest time in a shady or cool spot. If the balloons
are exposed to heat such as direct sunlight, the gas inside will heat up and
expand. This is because heat gives the gas molecules more energy, causing them
to spread out. If the gas spreads out too much, the balloons will pop.

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