Which of the following are considered the three states of matter?

The three states of matter are solid, liquid, and gas. This classification is fundamental in physical science, describing how matter behaves under different conditions.

In a solid state, particles are tightly packed together and vibrate in place, giving solids a defined shape and volume. When matter transitions to a liquid state, the particles are close, but they can move around each other, allowing liquids to take the shape of their container while retaining a fixed volume. In the gas state, particles are far apart and move freely, resulting in neither a fixed shape nor a fixed volume, which allows gases to expand and fill their container.

The other options introduce combinations that don’t fully represent the three primary states of matter or include terms that aren't broadly recognized as fundamental states. Plasma, while indeed a state of matter, is not one of the three basic states typically taught at the middle school level. Mist, commonly considered a collection of tiny water droplets, and dust, which consists of solid particles, do not represent fundamental states but rather conditions or compositions of matter. Thus, solid, liquid, and gas is the widely accepted classification used in explaining the fundamental states of matter.