In which three states can matter exist?

The correct answer is that matter can exist in three states: solid, liquid, and gas. These three states represent the most commonly encountered forms of matter in everyday life.

In the solid state, matter has a defined shape and volume with closely packed particles that vibrate but do not move from their fixed positions, giving solids their rigidity. In the liquid state, matter retains a definite volume but takes the shape of its container, as the particles are still closely packed but can move past one another, allowing liquids to flow. In the gaseous state, matter has neither a defined shape nor a fixed volume; the particles are much farther apart and move freely, filling the entire space available to them.

The other options, while they include valid states of matter, do not represent the fundamental trio that most people associate with the concept of matter in its basic forms. Plasma, for instance, is an ionized state of matter found mostly in stars, including the sun, and is not typically encountered under normal Earth conditions. Similarly, vapor refers to a gaseous state of a substance that is normally a liquid at room temperature, and while it is a gas, it is more specific and does not encompass the broader concept of gas as used in the context of fundamental