Science
What is Matter?
Matter is anything that has mass and takes up space — everything you can touch, from air and water to rocks and stars. All ordinary matter is made of atoms, and it exists in states like solid, liquid, gas, and plasma.
See it, don’t just read it.
Watch a 2-minute lesson with voice + animation that explains matter.
Key things to understand
- 1Matter has two defining properties: it has mass and it occupies volume (space).
- 2It's made of atoms, which combine into molecules and larger structures.
- 3Its common states — solid, liquid, gas, and plasma — depend on how much energy its particles have.
- 4Matter can change state (ice melting to water) without becoming a different substance.
- 5Not everything is ordinary matter — light is energy, and 'dark matter' is a mysterious, invisible form inferred from gravity.
Frequently asked questions
- What are the states of matter?
- The four common states are solid, liquid, gas, and plasma. Which one a substance is in depends on temperature and pressure.
- Is light matter?
- No. Light is a form of energy carried by particles called photons, which have no mass — so light isn't matter in the ordinary sense.
- What is matter made of?
- All ordinary matter is made of atoms, which are themselves built from protons, neutrons, and electrons.