Question

Which of the following states of matter can water exist in?
A. Solid
B. Liquid
C. Gas
D. All of the above

Answer 1

Hint: Recall that water possesses both a boiling and a melting point. Think of what this implies about its possible states of matter carefully.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Before moving onto its states, let’s first look at the properties of water.
Pure water is tasteless, odourless, and colourless. It occurs in three possible states: solid, liquid and gas (vapor).
Solid water—Ice is frozen water. When water freezes, its molecules move farther apart, making ice less dense than water. This means that ice will be lighter than the same volume of water, thereby making will float in water. Water freezes at 0° Celsius (273.15 K), 32° Fahrenheit.
Liquid water is wet and fluid. This is the form of water with which we are most familiar. We use liquid water in many ways, including washing and drinking.
Water as a gas — Vapour is always present in the air around us, but is invisible to the naked eye. When water is slowly boiled, it changes form from a liquid to a gas or water vapour. As some of the water vapour cools, we see it as a small cloud called steam. This cloud of steam is a small version of the clouds we see in the sky. At sea level, steam is formed at 100° Celsius (373.15 K), 212° Fahrenheit.
The water vapor attaches to small bits of dust in the air. It forms raindrops in warm temperatures. In cold temperatures, it freezes and forms snow or hail.
Therefore, from the above information, we can conclude that the answer to this question is d) All of the above.

Note: While this is a fairly elementary question, no answer to a subjective question is complete without a thorough explanation. Therefore, please ensure that your answer is replete with examples and particulars.