What is the difference between the terms state and phase?

Answer 1

You can have multiple phases in the same state. For example: If you pour oil and water together they form two phases (an oil phase and a water phase), but both of them are in the liquid state. Another example is sulfur. Sulfur heated to above its melting point and then cooled suddenly (by drizzling it into cold water, for example) forms a rubbery solid that slowly turns back into the usual yellow form. Both the rubbery material and the regular yellow crystalline sulfur are solids, and they're both sulfur, but they're different phases. Two things that are in different states, though, are always different phases.

Answer 2

In chemistry, a phase refers to a physically distinct form of matter, like solid, liquid, or gas. A state, on the other hand, describes the specific condition of a system at a particular point in time, including factors like temperature, pressure, and composition. So, while phase relates to the physical form of matter, state considers the overall conditions of a system.