question: What is and isn't matter? answer: Mass is something that has mass paragraph: Here is a riddle for you to ponder: What do you and a tiny speck of dust in outer space have in common? Think you know the answer? Both you and the speck of dust consist of matter. So does the ground beneath your feet. In fact, everything you can see and touch is made of matter. The only things that are not matter are forms of energy. This would include things such as light and sound. Although forms of energy are not matter, the air and other substances they travel through are. So what is matter? Matter is defined as anything that has mass and volume. You may recall that atoms are the building blocks of matter. Even things as small as atoms have mass and volume. The more atoms, or matter, the more mass and volume are present. Different types of atoms have different amounts of mass and volume. So, its not enough to know the count of atoms to determine the mass. You must also know the type of atoms an item is made of. Mass and volume are just two ways to describe the physical property of a substance. Physical properties are all determined by the amounts and type of atoms that compose items. 