Matter is anything that takes up space and has mass. All matter has certain characteristics including mass, which is the amount of matter an object contains, and volume, which is the space an object occupies. Matter also has properties like hardness, brittleness, elasticity, and density. Forces are interactions between bodies that can start or change the motion of an object by increasing, decreasing, or changing the direction of its speed. Different materials like plastic, elastic, and brittle substances change shape or properties like thermal conductivity, transparency, and impermeability differently when forces act on them. Common materials we use include clay, plastic, copper, windows, wood, ceramics, and concrete.