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What happens to the particles in invisible steam in order for it to become a visible cloud?

States of Matter

The three most commonly observed states of matter on Earth are: solids, liquids, and gases:



  • Solids: Solids are composed of particles that are close together.


  • Liquids: Liquids are composed of particles that are further apart and are able to slide past one another.


  • Gases: Gases are composed of particles that are very far apart and have a lot of kinetic energy.

State Changes


  • When sufficient heat energy is added to a solid, the intermolecular forces between the particles are disrupted and the substance is able to transition into the liquid state. This is called melting.

  • When sufficient heat energy is added to a liquid, the intermolecular forces between the particles are disrupted and the substance is able to transition into the gas state. This is called vaporization.

  • When heat energy is removed from a liquid, the particles become more strongly attracted to one another and the substance transitions into the solid state. This is called freezing.

  • When heat energy is removed from a gas, the particles become more strongly attracted to one another and the substance transitions into the liquid state. This is called condensation.

When water is in the gas state, it is called water vapor. Water vapor is invisible. As water vapor cools, some of the water particles transition into the liquid state and move closer together. When we see steam, we are really seeing tiny drops of water that have condensed into the liquid state.

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