01 / UNDERSTAND
The science behind it
Matter is made of tiny particles. In a solid, particles vibrate around fixed positions. In a liquid, they stay close but move past each other. In a gas, particles move freely with much larger gaps. A change of state does not make a new substance.
Out in the real world
Water vapour cools on a cold steel tumbler and condenses into liquid droplets. The water comes from the surrounding air.
About this model
Schematic particle model: particle sizes, spacing and speeds are exaggerated. The motion slider is not a thermometer. Water has extra structural details not shown here.