In classical physics and general chemistry , matter is any substance that has mass and takes up space by having volume . [ 1 ] All everyday objects that can be touched are ultimately composed of atoms , which are made up of interacting subatomic particles , and in everyday as well as scientific usage, matter generally includes atoms and anything made up of them, and any particles (or combination of particles ) that act as if they have both rest mass and volume . However it does not include massless particles such as photons , or other energy phenomena or waves such as light or heat . [ 1 ] : 21 [ 2 ] Matter exists in various states (also known as phases ). These include classical everyday phases such as solid , liquid , and gas – for example wat...