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PhET States of Matter - Printable Science Worksheets 9th - 11th Grade - Wayground

PhET States of Matter

Jeani Williams

By Jeani Williams

11 questions

9th - 11th Grade

Science

24 plays

Updated Sep 2026

PhET States of Matter is a free printable worksheet for Grades 9–11 science, physics, and chemistry classes. It helps students connect particle motion, spacing, temperature, energy, and pressure to the behavior of solids, liquids, gases, and plasma. Questions also address water’s unusual particle behavior, absolute zero, Celsius-to-Kelvin conversion, and changes of state such as condensation and deposition. The worksheet includes 10 multiple-choice questions and one multiple-select question. Students apply phase-change vocabulary, identify conditions for the triple and critical points, and interpret how temperature and particle number affect pressure. It is useful for checking understanding after instruction on particle theory or states-of-matter relationships, and it includes a complete answer key for efficient review and grading.

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PhET States of Matter

Total questions: 11

Name
Class
Date
1.
The state of matter in which atoms are tightly packed and keep their shape.

The state of matter in which atoms are tightly packed and keep their shape.

a)

Gas

b)

Liquid

c)

Plasma

d)

Solid

2.
Water behaves differently when heat is added in comparison to neon, argon, and oxygen. What does water do?

Water behaves differently when heat is added in comparison to neon, argon, and oxygen. What does water do?

a)

Water particles only stay in the solid state no matter the temperature.

b)

Water particles come closer together at first then move further apart as changing from a solid to a liquid.

c)

Water particles skip the liquid state as heat is added to a solid and directly go into a gas.

3.
Particles move __ and get __ to another as they cool from a gas.

Particles move __ and get __ to another as they cool from a gas.

a)

faster; closer

b)

slower; farther apart

c)

faster; farther apart

d)

slower; closer

4.

What is the freezing point of water in both Celsius and Kelvin?

a)

0 *C; 273*K

b)

100 *C; 373*K

c)

32*C; 212*K

5.
As a substance's temperature is lowered to 0*K, what happens to the particles?

As a substance's temperature is lowered to 0*K, what happens to the particles?

a)

The atoms never stop moving.

b)

The atoms get closer together then move apart.

c)

The atoms vibrate slower and eventually stop moving.

d)

The atoms vibrate faster and eventually stop moving.

6.

Heating water to over 5,000*K creates:

a)

slower particles, more spinning; decrease in pressure

b)

slower particles, less spinning; decrease in pressure

c)

faster particles, less spinning; decrease in pressure

d)

faster particles, more spinning; increase in pressure

7.

If the number of particles increases

a)

temperature decreases

b)

temperature increases

c)

pressure decreases

d)

pressure increases

8.
To go from a gas to a liquid, energy is ___ . This is called ___.

To go from a gas to a liquid, energy is ___ . This is called ___.

a)

added; melting

b)

added; sublimation

c)

removed; condensation

d)

removed; freezing

9.

To go directly from a gas to a solid, energy is ___. This is called ___.

a)

removed; freezing

b)

added; vaporization

c)

added; sublimation

d)

removed; deposition

10.
Which best described the Triple Point of a substance.

Which best described the Triple Point of a substance.

a)

The temperature and pressure where a substance can exist in none of the three phases.

b)

The temperature and pressure where a substance can exist in all of the three phases.

c)

This is a synonym to Triple Threat for a basketball player stance.

d)

An A+, a 100 average.

11.
Which of the following is the best description of Critical Point.

Which of the following is the best description of Critical Point.

a)

The supercritical states involving temperature and pressure where the identification of the liquid and the gas phase disappears.

b)

The supercritical states involving the number of particles and pressure where the identification of the liquid and the gas phase disappears.

c)

The supercritical states involving the number of particles and pressure where the identification of the liquid and the gas phase is defined.

d)

The supercritical states involving temperature and pressure where the identification of the liquid and the gas phase is defined.

WaygroundAnswer Key

PhET States of Matter

Total questions: 11

1.
d)

Solid

2.
b)

Water particles come closer together at first then move further apart as changing from a solid to a liquid.

3.
d)

slower; closer

4.
a)

0 *C; 273*K

5.
c)

The atoms vibrate slower and eventually stop moving.

6.
d)

faster particles, more spinning; increase in pressure

7.
b)

temperature increases

, d)

pressure increases

8.
c)

removed; condensation

9.
d)

removed; deposition

10.
b)

The temperature and pressure where a substance can exist in all of the three phases.

11.
a)

The supercritical states involving temperature and pressure where the identification of the liquid and the gas phase disappears.

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FAQs

What does the PhET States of Matter worksheet cover?

This worksheet uses 10 multiple-choice questions and one multiple-select question to assess how particle motion, spacing, temperature, energy, and pressure relate to states of matter. Students identify phase changes such as condensation and deposition, convert water’s freezing point between Celsius and Kelvin, and distinguish the triple point from the critical point. These items require students to connect particle-level behavior with observable changes in solids, liquids, gases, and plasma.

How can I use this worksheet to teach particle behavior and phase changes?

Introduce the worksheet by having students predict how particle speed and spacing change when a gas cools or when water is heated, then use the questions to check those predictions. After students complete the items, discuss the energy direction and vocabulary for condensation, deposition, and other phase changes. Use the triple-point and critical-point questions as an extension into how temperature and pressure determine a substance’s state.

What mistakes should I watch for when students complete this states-of-matter worksheet?

Students may reverse the relationships between cooling, particle motion, and spacing, or confuse whether energy is removed or added during condensation and deposition. They may also confuse Celsius and Kelvin values for water’s freezing point, or select only one response on the multiple-select question about increasing particle number. Check that students distinguish the triple point, where all three phases can exist, from the critical point, where the liquid–gas distinction disappears under specific temperature and pressure conditions.

How do I assign and grade the PhET States of Matter worksheet?

On Wayground, you can assign this worksheet as a printable PDF or as a digital quiz. It includes a complete answer key, and printable submissions can be graded by scanning student work with the Wayground for Teachers app. The printable format can also support schools that are reducing screen time while students practice particle behavior and phase changes.

How can I differentiate this states-of-matter worksheet for my students?

In the worksheet’s Advanced Settings, adjust font spacing or choose a larger font size to make the particle-behavior and phase-change questions easier to read. You can also enable a dyslexia-friendly font or translate the worksheet into another language, which can support access to its multiple-choice and multiple-select items.

Where can I find more worksheets like this on Wayground?

Wayground offers a comprehensive collection of free printable worksheets and practice problems across subjects, with downloadable PDFs and answer keys to help students master essential skills and concepts. Browse more resources at https://wayground.com/en-us/worksheets.

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