Today we know that there are four states of matter: solids, liquids, gasses and plasma. The plasma state is beyond the scope of this book. Although on the microscopic level all matter is made from atoms or molecules, everyday experience tells us that the three states have very different properties. The aim of this book is to examine some of these properties and the underlying physics.

Today we know that there are four states of matter: solids, liquids, gasses and plasma. The plasma state is beyond the scope of this book. Although on the microscopic level all matter is made from atoms or molecules, everyday experience tells us that the three states have very different properties. The aim of this book is to examine some of these properties and the underlying physics.