States of matter
Solids, liquids and gases are three ways particles can be arranged. In a solid they are packed and vibrate. In a liquid they slide past each other. In a gas they move freely and far apart.
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Analogy
A solid is a seated crowd. A liquid is a crowd shuffling through a hall. A gas is people running around a field.
In practice
Ice, water and steam are the same substance in three states.
Practice
Flashcards
- Describe the particles in a gas.Far apart, moving fast in random directions.
Questions people ask
Why can you pour a liquid but not a solid?
In a liquid the particles are close but not locked in place, so they slide past each other and the liquid flows to take the shape of its container. In a solid the particles are held in fixed positions and can only vibrate, so the solid keeps its own shape.
Why can gases be squashed but liquids cannot?
In a gas the particles are far apart with lots of empty space, so pushing them closer is easy. In a liquid they are already almost touching, so there is very little space left to squeeze into. This is why hydraulic brakes use liquid to pass force along.