Looking at water – solid, liquid or gas
In this activity, students use water to explore its properties as a solid, liquid or gas.
Water in its three states of matter
Water behaves differently to most other substances because, in its solid state (ice), its particles are less densely packed than in its liquid state. This is why ice floats.
By the end of this activity, students should be able to:
identify one or more characteristics of water in its solid state (ice)
identify one or more characteristics of water in its liquid state (water)
identify that gas is also a state of matter.
Download the Word file (see link below) for:
introduction/background notes
what you need
what to do
extension ideas
student handout.
Water: solid, liquid and gas
This animation explores water as a solid, liquid and gas. The water molecules stay the same, but they behave differently as they change from one form to another.
Related content
Written for teachers, but with young students in mind, these science articles below explore several concepts:
Water – looks at its importance and its unusual characteristics.
Solids, liquids and gases – uses water as the context to explain states of matter.
Melting and freezing – how changes of state involve the addition or removal of heat energy.
Alternative conceptions about water’s states of matter matches common alternative conceptions with accurate science concepts. It includes suggested teaching points to help make conceptual changes occur.
