Which state of matter has a definite shape and volume?

Which state of matter has a definite shape and volume?

• A. Liquid
• B. Gas
• C. Plasma
• D. Solid

Answer: (D)

A solid keeps its own shape and its own size. In a solid the particles are tightly packed and held in place, so they only jiggle a little and don’t flow. That tight arrangement gives a definite shape and a definite volume, whether the solid is sitting on a table or inside a container. Liquids take the shape of their container but still have a fixed volume, gases spread out to fill any space and don’t have fixed shape or volume, and plasmas behave like energized gases with charged particles. So the state that has a definite shape and volume is a solid.

A solid keeps its own shape and its own size. In a solid the particles are tightly packed and held in place, so they only jiggle a little and don’t flow. That tight arrangement gives a definite shape and a definite volume, whether the solid is sitting on a table or inside a container. Liquids take the shape of their container but still have a fixed volume, gases spread out to fill any space and don’t have fixed shape or volume, and plasmas behave like energized gases with charged particles. So the state that has a definite shape and volume is a solid.