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The Solid State: Matter’s Stability in States
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- Matter Occurs in Solid State. Solids maintain their state with strong intermolecular forces, which keeps the particles in a fixed position.
- Characteristics of Solid State: It include definite shape and volume, distinct boundaries and negligible compressibility.
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The Liquid State: Liquids in the Realm of States
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- Lack Shape: The liquids have no fixed shape but have a fixed volume.
- Binding Force: Liquids have weaker intermolecular forces compared to solids, allowing them to flow and take the shape of their container.
- Diffusion: Their rate of diffusion is higher than that of solids because liquid particles move freely and have greater space between each other than the solids.
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The Gaseous State: States of Matter in Expansive Gas
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- Binding Force: Gases have neither a definite shape nor a definite volume, they have very weak intermolecular forces, allowing them to expand to fill the entire volume of their container.
- Compressibility: Due to their high compressibility, large volumes of a gas can be compressed into a smaller volumes (eg. CNG, LPG cylinder).
- Particle Gap: The particles in gasses are widely spaced and move randomly at high speeds exerting pressure.
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[a, b and c show the magnified schematic pictures of the three states of matter. The motion of the particles can be seen and compared in the three states of matter]