Solids (Characteristics)
→ In a solid, particles are packed tightly together so they are unable to move about very much.
→ Particles of a solid have very low kinetic energy.
→ The electrons of each atom are in motion, so the atoms have a small vibration, but they are fixed in their position.
→ Solids have a definite shape.
→ They do not conform to the shape of the container in which they are placed.
→ They also have a definite volume.
→ The particles of a solid are already so tightly packed together that increasing pressure will not compress the solid to a smaller volume.
Liquids (Characteristics)
→ In the liquid phase, the particles of a substance have more kinetic energy than those in a solid.
→ The liquid particles are not held in a regular arrangement, but are still very close to each other so liquids have a definite volume.
→ Liquids, like solids, cannot be compressed.
→ Particles of a liquid have just enough room to flow around each other, so liquids have an indefinite shape.
→ A liquid will change shape to conform to its container.
→ Force is spread evenly throughout the liquid, so when an object is placed in a liquid, the liquid particles are displaced by the object.
Gases (Characteristics)
→ Gas particles have a great deal of space between them and have high kinetic energy.
→ When a gas is put under pressure by reducing the volume of the container, the space between particles is reduced, and the pressure exerted by their collisions increases.
→ If the volume of the container is held constant, but the temperature of the gas increases, then the pressure will also increase.
→ Gas particles have enough kinetic energy to overcome inter-molecular forces that hold solids and liquids together. thus a gas has no definite volume and no definite shape.
