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Sundown444
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I have a question, and it is this: why is it that your hand can go through a gas or liquid while the same can't be done with solids? Is it because of density?
ProfuselyQuarky said:Indeed, it has to do with density. Do you know the difference between how atoms are arranged in the different states of matter?
ProfuselyQuarky said:See the image http://www.msm.cam.ac.uk/SeeK/slg.html ?
The atoms are closely packed together in the solid, but they become increasingly spread apart for the liquid and gas. There is more space between the atoms in the two latter states.
ProfuselyQuarky said:So if you knew that, what exactly were you asking? You could clarify and then I could help you better![]()
jbriggs444 said:The density of a substance has quite little to do with whether you can move your hand through it.
You can push your hand through liquid water more easily than you can push your hand through a cube of expanded polystyrene (styrofoam). What matters is not so much how dense the material is, but how firmly the component molecules are bound into a matrix.
More like how inflexible the packing arrangement.Sundown444 said:You mean as in how tightly packed they are, right?
In other words, the space between molecules can change.Khashishi said:So, when you push your hand through, the molecules can bend shift around relatively freely.
No. The arrangement of the molecules can change. The [average] space between them need not change.ProfuselyQuarky said:In other words, the space between molecules can change.
But it can. That's all I was saying.jbriggs444 said:No. The arrangement of the molecules can change. The [average] space between them need not change.
That is something I often wonder. Like, is lotion a solid or liquid? A semi-liquid? A semi-solid?Khashishi said:I don't know if the difference between a liquid and solid is totally cut and dry. There's not a whole lot of difference between a very high viscosity liquid and and amorphous solid. Practically speaking, solids won't flow, but ductile metals can be pressed into shape with enough force.
In a liquid, the average space between molecules does not change. And yet liquids flow. In a solid, the average space between molecules does not change. But solids do not flow [much]. The average spacing between molecules can not be the determining feature. That is what I am trying to point out.ProfuselyQuarky said:But it can. That's all I was saying.
Fair enough.jbriggs444 said:In a liquid, the average space between molecules does not change. And yet liquids flow. In a solid, the average space between molecules does not change. But solids does not flow [much]. The average spacing between molecules can not be the determining feature. That is what I am trying to point out.
A suspension of oil droplets in water. Or of water droplets in oil. Kashishi's point seems good. The distinction between a solid and a liquid is not always sharp, especially in composite substances.ProfuselyQuarky said:Now what about this: is lotion a solid or liquid? A semi-liquid? A semi-solid?
The three states of matter are solid, liquid, and gas. In a solid, particles are tightly packed together and have a fixed shape and volume. In a liquid, particles are close together but can move around, taking the shape of their container. In a gas, particles are far apart and have no fixed shape or volume.
Yes, matter can change from one state to another through physical processes such as heating or cooling. This is known as a phase change. For example, when water is heated, it changes from a liquid to a gas (steam) and when it is cooled, it changes back to a liquid.
The fourth state of matter is plasma. Plasma is a highly ionized gas that is found in stars and lightning. It is also used in technologies such as plasma TVs and fluorescent lights.
The state of matter is related to temperature and pressure through the kinetic theory of matter. As temperature increases, the particles in a substance gain more energy and move faster, causing them to change states. Changes in pressure can also cause changes in the state of matter, as seen in the phase changes of carbon dioxide (solid to gas) and water (liquid to gas) in a pressure cooker.
Yes, matter can exist in other states besides solid, liquid, gas, and plasma. These states include Bose-Einstein condensate and fermionic condensates, which occur at extremely low temperatures, and quark-gluon plasma, which is found in high energy environments such as particle colliders. However, these states are not commonly found in everyday life.