Gases, Liquids and Solids
- Gases, liquids and solids are al made up of atoms, molecules and/or ions, but the behaviours of these particles differ in the three phases
Particles in a:
- Gas are well separated with no regular arrangement
- gas vibrate and move freely at high speeds
- Liquid are close together with no regular arrangement
- liquid vibrate, move about, and slide past each other
- Solid are tightly packed, usually in a regular pattern
- solid vibrate (jiggle) but generally do not move from place to place
Liquids and solids are often referred to as condensed phases because the particles are very close together
Gas:
- assumes the shape and volume of its container - particles can move past one another
- compressible - lots of free space between particles
- flow easily - particles can move past one another
Liquid:
- assumes the shape of the part of the container which it occupies - particles can move/slide past one another
- not easily compressible - little free space between particles
- flow easily - particles can move/slide past one another
Solid:
- retains a fixed volume and shape - rigid: particles locked into place
- not easily compressible - little free space between particles
- does not flow easily - rigid: particles cannot move/slide past one another
