IGCSE 0625 / Section 2.1 / Core

Same particles, different arrangement.

A block of ice, a puddle and a cloud of steam are all the same water molecules. What changes between them is not the particles themselves but how tightly they are packed and how freely they move.

The key idea

In a solid, particles are packed closely in a regular pattern and only vibrate. In a liquid they are still close but can slide past one another. In a gas they are far apart and move quickly in all directions. The particles are the same; only their arrangement and motion change.

Definition · learn the exact words

A solid has a fixed shape and volume, a liquid has a fixed volume but takes the shape of its container, and a gas fills its container completely and is easily compressed.

solid → liquid → gas: particles gain energy and move more freely

The particles do not change when a substance melts or boils; only their spacing and motion change.

Section 01

Watch the three states.

Switch between solid, liquid and gas and watch how the particle arrangement and motion change.

Stage 1 · Learn

Check states of matter

Four quick checks. Each correct answer earns XP and lights this skill on your star map.

Quick check+10 XP

In which state are the particles held in a fixed, regular arrangement?

Quick check+10 XP

The particles in a gas...

Quick check+10 XP

Which state can be compressed easily?

Quick check+10 XP

A liquid takes the shape of its container but keeps a fixed...

Section 02

Arrangement, motion, behaviour.

Each property of a state follows directly from how its particles are arranged and how they move.

Examiner trap

The particles themselves do not change between states. When ice melts or water boils, each molecule is identical before and after; what changes is how close together the particles are, how ordered they are, and how fast they move.

Stage 2 · Exam

Exam-style questions

Unlocks once the four checks above are done. Worth more XP, written in the style of Paper 2.

Finish the four checks above to unlock the exam questions
Exam style+20 XP

A substance has a fixed volume but takes the shape of its container. It is a...

Exam style+20 XP

When a solid is heated until it melts, its particles...

Exam style+20 XP

Compared with the same substance as a liquid, the gas has particles that are...

Skill unlocked

States of matter, mastered.

That completes the first skill in the particle model. Keep the chain going.

-Rank -Level -Score -Topics
Go deeper · practice
Six original Cambridge-style questions
The particle arrangement and motion in each state, and how shape, volume and compressibility follow. Attempt each, then reveal the worked solution.
Stage 3 · master the unit
Thermal physics challenge
Mixed questions across the whole unit, each one worth XP. Start this only when you feel confident across every topic in the unit, not just states of matter.
Start the unit challenge →