How does a particle move in Water?

The particle model describes matter in a very specific way. It describes four important aspects of matter:

All matter is made up of particles that are incredibly small - much too small to see with the naked eye. The particles can be atoms or combinations of atoms that are bonded.There are forces between the particles.The particles in matter are always moving. The more energy they have, the faster they move.The spaces between the particles in matter are empty. You might assume that the spaces between particles are filled with air, but this is not the case. They contain nothing at all.

Why is the particle model of matter so useful?

The particle model of matter is one of the most useful scientific models because it describes matter in all three states. Understanding how the particles of matter behave is vital if we hope to understand science!

The model also helps us to understand what happens to the particles when matter changes from one state to another.

The following diagram shows different changes of state, as well as which processes are the reverse of each other. Melting and freezing are the reverse processes of each other and so are evaporation (boiling) and condensation.