Answer:
Matter and Its States
Matter typically exists in one of three states: solid , liquid , or gas . The state a given substance exhibits is also a physical property. Some substances exist as gases at room temperature (oxygen and carbon dioxide), while others, like water and mercury metal, exist as liquids. Most metals exist as solids at room temperature. All substances can exist in any of these three states. In addition to existing in one of the three states, matter can also undergo a change of state. A change of state occurs when matter is converted from one state to another state for example when a liquid is converted to a gas or a solid is converted to a liquid.
Note: Technically speaking a fourth state of matter called plasma exists, but it does not naturally occur on earth, so we will omit it from our study here.
Liquid
Liquids have the following characteristics:
no definite shape (takes the shape of its container)
has definite volume
particles are free to move over each other, but are still attracted to each other
A familiar liquid is mercury metal. Mercury is an anomaly. It is the only metal we know of that is liquid at room temperature. Mercury also has an ability to stick to itself (surface tension) – a property all liquids exhibit. Mercury has a relatively high surface tension, which makes it very unique. Here you see mercury in its common liquid form.
