Question

In which category of matter does sponge exist?

Answer 1

Hint: Matter is any substance that has mass and takes up space by having volume. Matter can exist in one of three main forms of solid, liquid or gas. Historically, the states of matter were distinguished based on qualitative differences in their bulk properties.

Complete step-by-step answer:
The matter is usually classified into solids, liquids or gas. Solid matter is composed of tightly packed particles. A solid will retain its shape, that is, the particles are not free to move around. The liquid matter is made of more loosely packed particles. It will take the shape of its container. Particles can move about within a liquid, but they are packed densely enough that volume is maintained. The gaseous matter is composed of particles packed so loosely that it has neither a definite shape nor a definite volume. A gas can be compressed.

Now coming to the question, a sponge is considered a solid because it has a definite volume and shape that does not change normally. The shape changes only when the sponge is compressed. It is compressible because it has very tiny pores in it and these pores are filled with air. When the sponge is compressed, the air present in these pores is expelled.

Thus sponge is considered as solid.

Note: Though the three forms of matter are the main physical forms that matter usually takes in an environment, there are other forms of matter as well like plasma and Bose-Einstein Condensate. Plasma forms when a neutral gas is strongly heated or subjected to a strong electromagnetic field. Much of the atomic matter of the universe is hot plasma in the form of the rarefied interstellar medium and dense stars. Bose-Einstein Condensate forms when a gas is cooled to temperatures very close to absolute zero.