States of Matter List: There are different states of matter characterized by changes in their properties that are associated with external factors such as pressure and temperature. Distinct states are usually distinguished by discontinuities in one or more of these features – for example, melting ice leaves a discontinuity in the increase in temperature. Solid, liquid, gas, and plasma are usually regarded as the four classical states of matter. The discovery of numerous additional states of matter during the 20th century, however, came as a result of increased understanding of the more exotic properties of matter, none of which are normally observed.
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Classification of States of Matter
All the matter states will either fall into one of two categories which are – Low energy states of matter or High energy states of matter. Low energy matter states are again classified further into the Natural States of matter and Modern states of matter.
Check What is Matter? – Its Definition and Characteristics
What are Low Energy States of Matter?
Matter states having a comparatively low kinetic energy of particles are termed low-energy states. Most of the states of matter we know belong to low energy states. Apart from the three most known states of matter – solid, liquid, gas – other states of matter such as plasma and many modern states of matter are considered low energy.
What are High Energy States of Matter?
When the particles of matter have an immense amount of kinetic energy the matter is then considered a high energy state matter. Quark–gluon plasma is an example of a high-energy state of matter. It has the highest energy level known so far. This type of matter resembles the building blocks of the Universe as it existed just after its creation. (source)
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Natural States of Matter List
Naturally occurring states of matter which are not man-made are called natural matter states. Following is the list of such states of matter.
| Natural states | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Solid | The volume and shape of a solid are definite without a container. It holds its particles very tightly together. Types of Solid State of Matter – 1. Amorphous Solid 2. Crystalline Solid 3. Plastic Crystal 4. Quasi Crystal |
| Liquid | Most fluids are non-compressible. Adapts to the shape of its container while maintaining a (nearly) constant volume regardless of pressure. Types of Solid State of Matter – 1. Liquid crystal 2. Non-Newtonian fluid |
| Gas | It is a compressible fluid. Gas will not only take the shape of its container but will also expand to fill it. |
| Plasma | These are free charged particles, like ions and electrons, usually in equal numbers. Plasma may generate magnetic fields and electrical currents on its own and react strongly and collectively to electromagnetic forces. In the universe, plasma is the most common state of matter, but it is extremely rare on Earth (except for the ionosphere). |
Know About Chain Melted State of Matter – A New State of Matter Discovered
Modern States of Matter List
Men-made states of matter which are not naturally occurring are called natural matter states. Following is all states of matter list.
| Modern states | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Supercritical fluid | Sate of matter available at a sufficiently high temperature and pressure dispel the distinction between liquids and gases. |
| Degenerate matter | State of matter under extreme pressure, supported by the Pauli exclusion principle Types of Degenerate States of Matter – 1. Electron-degenerate matter 2. neutron-degenerate matter 3. Strange matter 4. Quantum spin Hall state |
| Bose–Einstein condensate | When a lot of bosons occupy the same quantum state, they become one wave/particle in effect. The formation of this low-energy phase is only possible under laboratory conditions and at very cold temperatures. Absolute zero is required for it to form. The existence of such a state was predicted by Satyendra Nath Bose and Albert Einstein in the 1920s, but it was not observed until 1995 by Eric Cornell and Carl Wieman. |
| Fermionic condensate | Known as the Fermi-Dirac condensate, it is similar to the Bose-Einstein condensate but composed of fermions. Fermions can’t enter the same quantum state due to the Pauli exclusion principle, but two fermions can behave as bosons, so multiple fermions can enter the same quantum state without restriction. |
| Superconductivity | This occurs in certain materials when cooled below a characteristic critical temperature, in which there is zero electrical resistance and no magnetic fields are created. Most elements have a superconducting ground state. |
| Superfluid | Some cryogenic liquids can flow without friction when heated to extreme temperatures, and this is called a phase transition. A superfluid can flow up the sides of an open container and down the outside. Quantized vortices are produced when a superfluid is placed in a spinning container. |
| Supersolid | The properties of a supersolid are similar to those of a superfluid, it can move without friction but retains a rigid shape. |
| Quantum spin liquid | Disordered state in which quantum spins interact and can retain its disorder at very low temperatures, unlike other disordered states. |
| Heavy fermion materials | Enhanced Fermi systems or heavy fermion materials form a new type of matter characterized by quantum phase transitions, as well as exhibiting universal scaling behavior across thermodynamic, transport, and relaxation properties. The quantum spin liquid, quasicrystals, 2D Fermi liquid, heavy-fermion metals, and heavy-fermion superconductors can all represent the new state of matter. |
| String-net liquid | In this state, atoms have arrangements that seem unstable, but are still consistent in their overall pattern, as if they were solids. |
| Dropleton | Artificial quasiparticles consisting of electrons and holes within semiconductors. Dropletons are the first known quasiparticles that behave like liquids. |
| Time crystals | It is a state of matter in which even an object in its lowest energy state can move. |
| Rydberg polaron | The state of matter in which atoms are enclosed within atoms and only exists at ultra-low temperatures. |
| Black superionic ice | Excited by super lasers, this state of matter can exist under high pressure. |
Know the Importance of Muon g-2 Experiment At Fermilab – Strong Signs of New Physics
The number of states of matter is not fixed, finding a new state of matter should not come as a surprise. There are a lot of questions in science for which we still don’t have a valid answer. Scientists think that at the time of the big bang the four forces of nature were unified into one single force. We don’t have any idea about the state of matter in this case. Maybe, a new state of matter can be found in search of some other unknown, who knows!
States of Matter List – FAQs
Yes, Plasma is the fourth state of matter. It is an ionized gas that contains an equal number of positively and negatively charged particles. Earth’s ionosphere is a good example of Plasma.
Solid state of matter is further divided into types which are – Amorphous Solid, Crystalline Solid, Plastic Crystal, Quasi Crystal
Liquid state of matter is again divided into Liquid crystal and Non-Newtonian fluid.
There are 4 types of degenerate states of matter – Electron-degenerate matter, neutron-degenerate matter, Strange matter, Quantum spin Hall state.
The total number of states of matter is not fixed. The states of matter which have been confirmed have been listed in this article.
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