Examples of Matter

Hint: It's all around us

Illustration of examples of matter

ThoughtCo. / Ashley Nicole Deleon
By
Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D.
Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D.
Chemistry Expert
  • Ph.D., Biomedical Sciences, University of Tennessee at Knoxville
  • B.A., Physics and Mathematics, Hastings College
Dr. Helmenstine holds a Ph.D. in biomedical sciences and is a science writer, educator, and consultant. She has taught science courses at the high school, college, and graduate levels.
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Updated on November 25, 2019

Can you name 10 examples of matter? Matter is any substance that has mass and takes up space. Everything is made of matter, so any object you can name consists of matter. Basically, if it takes up space and has mass, it's matter.

Examples of Matter

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Matter: Definition and Examples
By Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D.
  • An apple
  • A person
  • A table
  • Air
  • Water
  • A computer
  • Paper
  • Iron
  • Ice cream
  • Wood
  • Mars
  • Sand
  • A rock
  • The sun
  • A spider
  • A tree
  • Paint
  • Snow
  • Clouds
  • A sandwich
  • A fingernail
  • Lettuce

Any physical object consists of matter. It doesn't matter whether it's an atom, element, compound, or mixture. It's all matter.

How to Tell What Is and Is Not Matter

Not everything you encounter in the world is matter. Matter can be converted into energy, which has neither mass nor volume. So, light, sound, and heat are not matter. Most objects have both matter and some form of energy, so the distinction can be tricky. For example, a candle flame certainly emits energy (light and heat), but it also contains gasses and soot, so it is still matter.

How can you tell what's the matter? Seeing or hearing it isn't sufficient. Matter is anything you can weigh, touch, taste, or smell.

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Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. "Examples of Matter." ThoughtCo, Apr. 5, 2023, thoughtco.com/examples-of-matter-608348. Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. (2023, April 5). Examples of Matter. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/examples-of-matter-608348 Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. "Examples of Matter." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/examples-of-matter-608348 (accessed April 24, 2024).