States of Matter — Answer Key
Part A: Fix the Sentence
Each sentence has an error. Rewrite it correctly on the line.
1. Fix the sentence:
Steam from a kettle is a liquid.
Corrected: Steam from a kettle is a gas.
Steam is hot water that has spread out into the air as tiny invisible particles, and a substance in that spread-out form is a gas. It looks cloudy only when it cools and starts turning back into tiny droplets.
2. Fix the sentence:
Juice takes a definite shape on its own.
Corrected: Juice takes the shape of its container.
Juice is a liquid, and liquids flow until they match the inside of whatever holds them. So juice takes the shape of its container rather than keeping a shape on its own.
3. Fix the sentence:
A rock is a gas because it is very hard.
Corrected: A rock is a solid because it is very hard.
Hardness comes from particles being packed tightly and held in place, which is how solids behave. Gases are spread out and easy to move through, so a hard rock has to be a solid.
Part B: Fill in the Blank
Write the missing word or number on each line.
1. A liquid takes the shape of its container.
Liquids flow freely, so they settle into whatever space is holding them. The container decides the shape the liquid will take.
2. When you blow up a balloon, you fill it with gas.
When a balloon stretches and puffs up, something invisible is pushing outward in every direction. That something is the gas you blew in from your lungs.
3. Milk is an example of a liquid.
Milk pours, splashes, and takes the shape of the cup or bowl it sits in. Anything that flows like that and keeps a fixed amount is a liquid.
4. A desk is a solid because it has a definite shape.
A desk does not flow or spread out, and you can carry it without it changing shape. Holding a fixed shape like that is what makes something a solid.
Part C: True or False?
Read each statement. Circle True or False.
1. You can pour a liquid from one cup to another.
True False
True. Liquids flow because their particles can slide past one another, so juice or water can move from one cup to another without breaking apart.
2. A gas has a definite shape and volume.
True False
False. A gas has neither a definite shape nor a definite volume — it spreads out to fill whatever space it can reach.
3. A pencil is an example of a solid.
True False
True. A pencil keeps the same shape and size whether it is on the desk or in your hand, and that is exactly how a solid behaves.