What is the definition of matter in chemistry?

Answer 1

To understand the answer to this question, you must first understand what both matter and energy are.

Matter is defined as anything with mass. Mass is defined as something that takes up space, or has volume. Matter cannot be destroyed; it can only change forms. Mass can be converted in to energy according to the law of the mass-energy equivalence. The equation for such is m=E/c2 (Where "m" is mass, "E" is energy and "c" is the speed of light).

Energy is defined as the ability to work. That is, how one physical system (Either matter or energy) can effect another. Energy can take many forms, such as heat energy, light energy, electrical energy, kinetic energy, potential energy and so forth. Like matter, energy cannot be destroyed, but it can change forms. Unlike matter, energy has no mass. All forms of energy can effect mass in various ways, and even be converted to mass, once again, through the law of mass-energy equivalence. The equation for such is E=mc2 (Where "m" is mass, "E" is energy and "c" is the speed of light).

What the prior mentioned equations (E=mc2 and m=E/c2) tell us is that it takes a massive amount of energy to create a small amount of mass, and that a small amount of mass has the potential to be converted in to a massive amount of energy.

Matter itself cannot exist without energy. Mass is held together by electrical energy. There are four such forms of this electrical energy, known as the "fundamental interactions", but I'll not go in to further detail as to what those are in this article, as it would fill several paragraphs. One of the most studied forms of matter is atoms. According to particle theory, atoms are comprised of three parts: Positively charged protons, neutrons, which possess no electrical charge, and negatively charged electrons (All of which, with the exception of electrons, can be broken down in to smaller parts, known as quarks). How many of each part are present in an atom determine the properties of the atom. Atoms with differing properties are known as elements. The protons and neutrons within an atom make up its nucleus, which the electrons orbit around.

When atoms join to one another, they form molecules, which mix and match the properties of the atoms involved. These molecules are also known as compounds, or chemicals. These chemicals are one of the main focuses of the science of chemistry. However, to say that chemistry is solely concerned with chemicals would be a generalization. To be more specific, chemistry is the study of matter. Its goal is to determine the composition of matter, its physical and chemical properties, how it reacts with energy or other forms of matter, as well as how to manufacture or synthesize said matter.

Answer 2

Matter is everyting around you that has mass and has atoms.

Answer 3

Matter is everything around you that has Mass and has Atoms

Answer 4

In chemistry, the states of matter are solid, (s), liquid (l), gas (g), and aqueous solution (aq).