The two properties which are used to define matter are that it has mass
and it takes up space. The other properties do not necessarily apply to
each matter. Such some matter can be a conductor of heat (such as metal)
and some not (such as non metals). Likewise, some matter can be buoyant
and float on liquid of density more than it but others would not on the
liquids of density less than it. In-fact not all the matters are
conductors of energy (such as heat, sound, electricity) or at-least a
very poor conductor of energy and tend to find application as
insulating agents (non conductors). So the only thing which is
necessarily true is that the matter would definitely have mass in even
their minutest form as atom and would take up some space.
<em><u>The Rutherford model shows that an atom is mostly empty space, with electrons orbiting a fixed, positively charged nucleus in set, predictable paths.</u></em>
