Matter is anything that has mass and energy and occupies space by virtue of having volume.
- Matter is the substance that makes up all physical objects and substances in the universe, including solids, liquids, and gases.
- Matter is made up of atoms, which may combine to form molecules. Atoms in turn consist of subatomic particles such as protons, neutrons, and electrons.
- Subatomic particles have mass and may have energy.
- Matter can undergo physical and chemical changes, but the total amount of matter in a closed system remains constant (Law of Conservation of Matter). This means that matter cannot be created or destroyed in chemical reactions, only transformed into different forms.
- Light is a form of electromagnetic radiation, which does not have mass and is not considered matter.
- light interacts with matter (e.g., through absorption, reflection, and transmission), but is not composed of particles with mass.