Table comparison of the characteristics of three states of matter- 
| 
s.no  | 
characteristics  | 
Solid   | 
liquid  | 
gas  | 
| 
1  | 
nature  | 
Very hard and rigid due closely packed particles  | 
Fluid  
-Substance which flows  | 
Highly fluid  | 
| 
2  | 
shape  | 
fixed  | 
Not fixed  | 
Not fixed  | 
| 
3  | 
Volume-space occupied by matter  | 
definite  | 
definite    | 
indefinite  | 
| 
4  | 
Density-the ratio of mass and volume =M/V = Kg/dm-3  | 
high   | 
Less than the density in solid state  | 
Very low density  | 
| 
5  | 
Interparticle spaces-the space or gap present mong the particles in matter   | 
Very small, particles are closely packed  | 
Comparatively large , not so closely packed particles  | 
Very large  | 
| 
6  | 
Compressibility-particles compressed on applying pressure  | 
Hardly compressible due to very small spaces among the particles | 
Compressible than solid having larger interparticle distances compare to solid  | 
Highly compressible due to large interparticle distances in gaseous state  | 
| 
6  | 
Inter particle force or inter-molecular force- the force experienced by particle in matter  | 
Very strong   | 
Weak   | 
Very weak  | 
| 
7  | 
Molecular /particle motion  | 
Low due to stronger attractive forces exerted in particles  | 
Comparable high  | 
Very high  | 
| 
8  | 
Kinetic energy –energy required to keep the motion of objects. It increases with increase the temperature.  | 
Low or negligible  | 
high  | 
Very high due to very weak inter particle forces  | 
| 
9  | 
Diffusion –intermixing of particles or when particles of one substance occupy the vacant spaces present in the particles of the other substance  is  called diffusion  | 
Negligible due to closely packed particles having not so spaces among them    | 
slow  | 
Very fast due to very large space and very weak forces  |