"One of the four fundamental states of matter (the others being liquid, gas, and plasma)."
A form of matter that has a fixed shape and volume.
States of Matter: This refers to the physical forms that matter can take and includes solids, liquids, gases, and plasma.
Properties of Solids: This covers the characteristics of solids, such as density, volume, shape, and elasticity.
Crystal Structure: This covers the arrangement of atoms or molecules within a solid, and how they form a repeating pattern.
Types of Solids: This covers the different categories of solids, including metallic, ionic, covalent, and molecular solids.
Phase Transitions: This refers to the transformation of matter from one state to another, such as melting, freezing, vaporization, and condensation.
Energy of Solids: This covers the different types of energy that are associated with solids, including kinetic and potential energy.
Thermal Expansion: This refers to the expansion of matter when exposed to heat, which is an important property of solids.
Elasticity: This covers the ability of solids to deform and return to their original shape, and how this property varies among different types of solids.
Viscosity: This covers the resistance of a substance to flow and related properties such as thickness and stickiness.
Friction: This refers to the force that opposes motion between two surfaces in contact, and is related to the properties of solids.
Strength of Materials: This covers the stress and strain behavior of solids, including mechanical properties like hardness, toughness, and brittleness.
Deformation and Failure: This covers the behavior of solids under stress, including the different modes of deformation and the conditions that lead to failure.
Electrical and Magnetic Properties: This covers the behavior of solids in response to electric and magnetic fields, including conductivity, resistivity, and susceptibility.
Optics: This covers the behavior of solids with respect to light, including absorption, reflection, and refraction.
Nanomaterials: This covers the properties of solids at the nanoscale, including unique properties that arise due to quantum effects and small size.
Crystalline Solids: These types of solids have a highly ordered atomic arrangement that repeats itself throughout the entire crystal lattice. They have a fixed melting point and are typically hard and brittle.
Amorphous Solids: These types of solids have a disordered atomic arrangement and lack a crystalline structure. They do not have a fixed melting point and are typically softer and more flexible than crystalline solids.
Polycrystalline or Granular Solids: These types of solids consist of multiple small crystalline particles called grains. They often display a mixture of properties from both crystalline and amorphous solids.
Composite Solids: These types of solids consist of two or more different materials that are combined to form a new material. Examples include concrete, plywood, and fiberglass.
Porous Solids: These types of solids have gaps, voids, or spaces in between the solid components. Examples include sponge, foam, and charcoal.
Magnetic Solids: These types of solids have magnetic properties due to the orientation of their atomic spins. Examples include iron, nickel, and cobalt.
Conductive Solids: These types of solids have the ability to conduct electricity due to the movement of electrons within their atomic structure. Examples include copper, aluminum, and silver.
Insulating Solids: These types of solids do not conduct electricity, and they are used as electrical insulators. Examples include glass, ceramics, and rubber.
Superconducting Solids: These types of solids have zero electrical resistance at very low temperatures. Examples include niobium and lead.
Thermal Solids: These types of solids are good conductors of heat and have high melting and boiling points. Examples include diamond, tungsten, and graphite.
Optical Solids: These types of solids are transparent or translucent and can pass light through them. Examples include glass, quartz, and diamond.
"The molecules in a solid are closely packed together."
"A solid object does not flow to take on the shape of its container, nor does it expand to fill the entire available volume like a gas."
"The atoms in a solid are bound to each other."
"An amorphous solid such as common window glass."
"Solids cannot be compressed with little pressure whereas gases can be compressed with little pressure."
"The branch of physics that deals with solids is called solid-state physics."
"Solid-state physics, and is the main branch of condensed matter physics (which also includes liquids)."
"Materials science is primarily concerned with the physical and chemical properties of solids."
"Solid-state chemistry is especially concerned with the synthesis of novel materials."
"A solid object does not flow to take on the shape of its container, nor does it expand to fill the entire available volume like a gas."
"The molecules in a solid are closely packed together and contain the least amount of kinetic energy."
"A solid is characterized by structural rigidity (as in rigid bodies)."
"A solid object does not flow to take on the shape of its container."
"A solid object does not flow to take on the shape of its container."
"The atoms in a solid are bound to each other, either in a regular geometric lattice (crystalline solids, which include metals and ordinary ice)."
"gases can be compressed with little pressure because the molecules in a gas are loosely packed."
"An amorphous solid such as common window glass."
"Solid-state chemistry... is the science of identification and chemical composition."
"The branch of physics that deals with solids is called solid-state physics... concerned with the physical and chemical properties of solids."