Exceptional cases of solids, liquids and gases
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by Chris Woodford. Last updated: February 25, 2019.
Snow, sea, cloud—it's not often you see what look like the three main states of matter (solid, liquid, and gas) in the same place, at the same time. But I got lucky one chilly day earlier this year walking on the beach just after a snowstorm. The clouds (aerosols, slowly forming from invisible water vapor) were still heavy with rain waiting to fall, there was a dusting of snow (solid water) on the beach, and the ocean (liquid water) was licking in and out, in and out. There, right in front of my eyes, was water in its three states, all together at once. Now you can see three states of different substances any time you like. Open the door of your refrigerator and you'll see all kinds of liquids chilling in jars, solid lumps of vegetables and cheese, and the whole chiller cabinet bursting with invisible gases—oxygen, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, and the various other, lesser-known ones such as argon that make up the air around us. But it's not often you see three states of the same substance all together at once. Ever wondered why? Let's take a closer look!