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Elements, Compounds and Mixtures

Solid, Liquid  and Gas - Structure and Properties.

Solid                            Liquid                            Gas
                   
Heating

A solid has a regular arrangement of particles (atoms, ions or molecules).
The particles are close together and cannot move.
The shape (and volume) of a solid is fixed.
It cannot be compressed because the particles are already close together.
It is said to have long range order which means that
the arrangement keeps repeating itself for a huge number of particles.

A liquid has an arrangement of particles which are close together but
they are free to move because the force of attraction between the particles
is weaker than it is in a solid.
A liquid will flow to take the shape of its container. Its volume is fixed.
It cannot be compressed because the particles are already close together.
It is said to have short range order which means that
the arrangement only repeats itself for a small number of particles.

A gas has no order, its particles are arranged at random.
A gas will fill the whole volume of its container.
Its particles are so far apart that there is no force of attraction between them.
The particles are unaware of each others existence unless they collide.
A gas is easily compressed.

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Copyright © 2008 Dr. Colin France. All Rights Reserved.