States of matter:
- Solid
- Liquid
- Gas
- Plasma
A solid can melt to form a liquid and a liquid can boil to form a gas. This can work vice versa, a gas can condense to form a liquid and a liquid can freeze to form a solid. When a gas condenses into a liquid heat is released and the molecules move slower. When a liquid evaporates or boils heat is absorbed and the molecules move faster. So an increase in energy and temperature leads to more motion in molecules or atoms. When a substance completely stops then the substance reaches absolute zero which is -273.15 degrees Celsius or 0 degrees Kelvin.
THE MOVEMENT OF MOLECULES IN A SOLID
When a substance is solid it has a definite shape and a definite volume. The atoms in a solid substance are packed close together stuck in position, so they can not move pass each other. Although they are so close together the molecules or atoms are still in motion. Molecules are reduced to vibrational energy, fixed next to each other.
THE MOVEMENT OF MOLECULES IN A LIQUID
When a substance is liquid it has a definite volume and it takes the shape of any container. The atoms in a liquid are not as tightly packed as molecules in a solid. They can pass each other and bump into each other, but they are relatively close to one another.
THE MOVEMENT OF MOLECULES IN GAS
When a substance is a gas it has a no definite volume and no definite shape. The atoms in a gas have little interaction with each other because they are so far apart. They occasionally bump into one another. Molecules move quickly and freely in any direction.
THE MOVEMENT OF MOLECULES IN PLASMA
Plasmas are ionized gases. Plasmas have so much energy that molecules are torn apart and only atoms exist. Also in plasmas the outer electrons are torn away from their atoms, forming charged ions. The sun and stars have atoms that are in the plasma state.
Click on this link, solid/liquid/gas, to see the different states of matter move!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment