States of Water

What are the states of water? The state of water just means what form the water is in. For example, water can be a solid, a liquid, or a gas. 

When water changes its state, this process is called a phase change. For example, the solid state of water, such as an ice cube, can change phases into the liquid state of water, like the water we drink. The liquid state of water can change into a gas, like the steam coming off a cup of tea. The state of water means the current form it is in--solid, liquid, or gas. The phase changes are the transition, or movement, from one state to another, such as from a solid to a liquid.

Let's begin by learning about the water molecule itself, which is actually quite simple in structure. You may have heard water referred to as H₂O, which means that every molecule of water is made up of 2 hydrogen atoms and 1 oxygen atom, for a total of 3 atoms altogether. The 2 hydrogen atoms and 1 oxygen atom connect, or bond, to make a single water molecule. As water molecules bond with other water molecules, they collect to become the water (liquid), ice (solid), and water vapor (gas) we encounter in our everyday lives.