In what forms can a chemical be found?

Chemicals can exist in various states of matter, commonly referred to as phases. These phases include solid, liquid, gas, and vapor.

• Solids have a definite shape and volume, with particles that are closely packed together, giving them structural integrity. For example, table salt is a common solid chemical.
• Liquids have a definite volume but take the shape of their container. Water is a classic example of a liquid chemical.
• Gases do not have a definite shape or volume and will expand to fill any container. An example is oxygen, which is a gaseous chemical found in the atmosphere.
• Vapor refers specifically to the gaseous state of a substance that is liquid at room temperature. For instance, water vapor is the gaseous form of water.

Other choices focus on specific states that do not encompass the full range of chemical forms. For example, a combination of liquid, cream, and gas does not include solids, and while powders and aerosols represent physical formulations, they do not inherently define the underlying chemical state. Therefore, the option that lists solid, gas, liquid, and vapor captures the complete array of chemical states accurately.