What are the three different physical states and how do they differ?

There are three different physical state configurations of a substance, solid, liquid and gas. The different states are caused by the arrangement and movement of the particles that make up that substance. These different states result in different properties for the substance, for example H₂0. This has three different states, ice (solid), water (liquid) and water vapour/ steam (gas). The solid state is when the particles are vibrating in a regular, uniform pattern, which allows it to maintain its structure. A solid can not be compressed or poured, whereas a liquid is able to be poured due to the increased movement of the particles and greater vibration. The changes of state are usually the result of temperature changes, which effects the kinetic energy of the particles. The gas configuration is when the particles are vibrating so much that they can't maintain an organised arrangement, therefore the particles are widely-spaced out and randomly moving. Gas is the only compressible state of matter.