Matter is made of tiny particles called atoms. Some atoms join together to form molecules. There are several properties of matter including volume, mass, thermal conductivity, density, hardness, and solubility. Matter exists as pure substances made of only one type of atom or molecule, or as mixtures made of two or more pure substances that can be either heterogeneous or homogeneous. Forces can act on objects through contact like friction and buoyancy or non-contact like magnetism and gravity.