The liquid state of water is the type of water you drink, cook with, or find in streams and rivers. The gas form is called water vapor, or steam, and the solid, or frozen, form of water is known as ice.
Water, also known as H2O, is made up hydrogen and oxygen atoms. These atoms join together to form water molecules.
Water molecules move at various rates of speed and distances from each other depending on the state of water. When the temperature of water reaches its boiling point at 212 °F, water molecules move more rapidly and spread father apart, allowing some of them to escape into the air. This turns liquid water into water vapor, or steam.
On the other hand, when the temperature of liquid water becomes cooler, the water molecules begin to slow down and move closer together. Eventually, the water molecules stop moving and stick together to form a solid called ice. Conversely, when the temperature of ice becomes warmer, water molecules begin to spread apart, causing the ice to melt and return to a liquid state.