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You have heard of solids, liquids, and gas. You probably even know that they are called matter. But what is matter? If you were asked what your bed is made of, or your chair, or your favorite toy, you might say wood, metal, or plastic. Did you know that all of those were matter? In fact, almost everything that you see and touch is matter. Matter can be living (like you and your little sister). Or matter can be nonliving (like plastic and metal).

Matter is anything that has mass and takes up space. Well, you get the takes up space part. Your little sister takes up space (sometimes too much of your space). But what is mass? Mass is the amount of material, or matter, an object has in it. "How do you measure mass?" you asked. Good question! A balance scale is often used. So put a marble on one side and a bouncy ball on the other side. Which one has more mass? Yep, the marble. What about a rock and a marshmallow? No contest. The rock wins. We could go on with this contest all day, but we need to keep moving. There is more to learn. Matter has properties that we can observe. Mass is one of the properties. You can also describe mass by the color, size, shape, and texture. In your rock collection, you have rocks of many different colors and sizes. The shapes are all different too. (Yes, the fish shaped one is your favorite.) You have some smooth rocks, some bumpy rocks, and some with sharp edges. (Ouch, now you need a band-aid.) Mass and weight are closely related. Some people get them mixed up. But not you, you are too smart to get them confused. You know that weight is a measurement of the force of gravity on an object.

Gravity pulls us down to the ground. Otherwise we would be floating. (Hmm, if that seems fun, then you need to become an astronaut. Then you can go to the moon where there is less gravity.) You measure weight by using a scale, like a spring scale or the bathroom scale. So when you weigh yourself, you are really getting a 'gravity report'. (So, Mr. Astronaut, your mass will be the same on the moon as it is on the earth. But your weight will be very different.) Finally, let's get to volume. Volume is the amount of space an object takes up. When you and your sister both try to sit on the same chair, it doesn't work so well. You both take up space. If there isn't enough room, then one of you feels the force of gravity as you fall off. Two objects that are the same size will have the same volume.

Ok, let's talk about liquids instead of solids. If you want to measure the volume of your milk, please don't pour it on the bathroom scale. Yuck! You might get into a little bit of trouble for that. Scientists measure the volume of liquid with a graduated cylinder or beaker. You mom uses a measuring cup. So now you know a lot about matter. So what's the matter with you? You're sad aren't you, because you have finished your lesson for today.

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