Science & Tech
solid
state of matter
Also known as: solid state
states of matter
Category:
Science & Tech
- Related Topics:
- crystal
- amorphous solid
- quasicrystal
- elasticity
- hole
solid, one of the three basic states of matter, the others being liquid and gas. (Sometimes plasmas, or ionized gases, are considered a fourth state of matter.) A solid forms from liquid or gas because the energy of atoms decreases when the atoms take up a relatively ordered, three-dimensional structure. Solids exhibit certain characteristics that distinguish them from liquids and gases. All solids have, for example, the ability to resist forces applied either perpendicular or parallel to a surface (i.e., normal or shear loads, respectively). Such properties depend on the properties of the atoms that form the solid, on the ...(100 of 454 words)