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by Mawgan on January 3rd, 2007

Mawgan

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If all matter is either solid, liquid, gas or plasma, what state of matter is a single atom or molecule?

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Answers. 7 helpful answers below.

  • by Tinkerbell on September 30th, 2007

    Tinkerbell

    There are loads of other states of matter.

    Your question is a bit like asking "what type of forest is a tree?"

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  • by Dystheria on July 4th, 2007

    Dystheria

    As it happens... there are not simply just three states of matter, despite what the classroom may have to teach you.

    The number of states of matter seems to fluctuate almost daily at present.

    my best effort to collate all forms is as follows.

    Solid, amorphous solid, liquid, gas, plasma, super-fluid, supersolid, degenerate matter, neutronium, strongly symmetric matter, weakly symmetric matter, quark-gluon plasma, fermionic condensate, Bose-Einstein condensate and finally... Strange matter.

    As for a single atom... well a single atom cannot be "matter".

    Matter is the arrangement of collected atoms.

    edit: after reconsidering my answer I'd have to say I was wrong, the state of matter of a single atom could be any of the above, the same goes for any molecule or compound.

    The list of states of matter above have likely changed but in response to xprofessors statement atoms do indeed fulfill the needs for being matter, but under the description of matter being all particles that have the physical properties of having density and volume then even light can be considered as being matter in that it has both mass and volume (even weight when observed under the effects of gravity).

    However, a "State of Matter" is not the same as "Matter" therefore a correct answer to this question would be.

    All matter comes in many states, a single atom is an atom, a single molecule is a molecule.
    The differing arrangements of atoms or molecules are what make up the various states of matter it can fulfill.

    This answer is getting rather lengthy.

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  • by Im Alec has abandoned this account on January 3rd, 2007

    Im Alec has abandoned this account

    Not a meaningful question. The "state of matter", like its temperature, can only be defined for a statistically large number of molecules.

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  • by moshchu on November 8th, 2007

    moshchu

    State of matter concerns only interactions betwenn molecules not the molecules themselves.

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  • by SPNS on September 30th, 2007

    SPNS

    atoms are the building blocks of matter...I don't know if they have a defined state of matter.

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  • by anonymous on January 3rd, 2007

    anonymous

    It depends on how the molecules are arranged. Different arrangements will give you different boiling, melting, and freezing points.

    So yes,...All matter is either solid, liquid, gas, or plasma

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  • by Trevor_N on December 6th, 2010

    Trevor_N

    atoms are matter just we dont know what state of matter. So a arranged set of atoms make the state of matter saying that there are many diverse types of atoms a certain arrangment of them make up the state of matter . Its like a recipe certain ingredeints make certain foods well certain atoms make up certain states of matter.




    PS:WTF is the car thing for. Im a 10 year old and i know this stuff its easy as trying to find a whale in a 10 foot cube duhhh.

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