Students can explore the properties of matter by filling balloons with air, water, and ice to observe the differences between gas, liquid, and solid states.

Problem Overview:

The worksheet asks you to study the three phases of matter (solid, liquid, and gas) using balloons. You need to observe and describe what happens when each balloon is filled with a different state of matter and manipulated.

Solution:

#### 1. Gas:
- Instructions: Fill balloon 1 with a gas (e.g., air from your lungs, an air pump, or water vapor).
- Observations:
- Shape of the balloon: The balloon will take on a round shape because gases expand to fill the container they are in. The molecules in a gas move freely and spread out evenly.
- What happens as you manipulate it? When you squeeze or stretch the balloon, the gas inside will compress or expand, but it will always try to return to its natural round shape once you release it. The balloon is flexible and can change shape easily because the gas molecules are not fixed in place.

#### 2. Liquid:
- Instructions: Fill balloon 2 with a liquid (e.g., water or another liquid).
- Observations:
- Shape of the balloon: The balloon will also take on a round shape initially, but the liquid inside will conform to the shape of the balloon. Unlike a gas, the liquid does not expand to fill the entire balloon completely; instead, it maintains its volume.
- What happens as you manipulate it? When you squeeze or stretch the balloon, the liquid inside will shift around but will not compress significantly because liquids are nearly incompressible. The balloon will remain relatively round, but you may notice that the liquid moves within the balloon, changing its internal distribution.

#### 3. Solid:
- Instructions: Fill balloon 3 with a liquid (e.g., water) and then freeze the balloon so that the water turns into ice (a solid).
- Observations:
- Shape of the balloon: The balloon will maintain a rigid, fixed shape determined by the ice inside. Since ice is a solid, it has a definite shape and volume, and the balloon will conform to the shape of the ice.
- What happens as you manipulate it? When you try to squeeze or stretch the balloon, the ice inside will resist deformation because solids have fixed positions for their molecules. The balloon will be much less flexible compared to the gas-filled or liquid-filled balloons. If you apply too much force, the balloon might break due to the rigidity of the ice.

Final Answer:

- Gas:
- Shape: Round
- Manipulation: Flexible, changes shape easily when squeezed or stretched.

- Liquid:
- Shape: Round (but the liquid inside conforms to the balloon's shape)
- Manipulation: Relatively flexible, but the liquid shifts internally without compressing significantly.

- Solid:
- Shape: Fixed (determined by the ice inside)
- Manipulation: Rigid, resists deformation; the balloon may break if too much force is applied.

$$
\boxed{
\text{Gas: Round, flexible; Liquid: Round, shifts internally; Solid: Fixed, rigid}
}
$$