PARTICLES IN SOLIDS, LIQUIDS, AND

GASES
HOW THE PARTICLES ARE ARRANGED

Water can change from solid to liquid to gas. Its particles do not change. They are the
same in each state. But their arrangement changes. The same is true for all substances.

State How the particles are arranged Diagram of particles

SOLID
The particles in a solid are
packed tightly in a fixed
pattern. There are strong
forces holding them
together. So they cannot
leave their positions. The
only movements the make
are tiny vibrations to and
fro Particles in a solid

LIQUID The particles in a liquid can

move about and slide past
each other. They are still
close together, but are not
in a fixed pattern. The
forces that hold them
together are weaker than in
a solid.
Particles in a liquid

GAS
The particles in a gas are far
apart and they move about
very quickly. There are
almost no forces holding
them together. They collide
with each other bounce off
in all directions
Particles in gases

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 MOLECULAR COMPARISON OF GASES, LIQUID AND SOLID

Gases:

Adopts both the volume and the form of the container

that contains it
Is compressible
Flows with facility
The diffusion inside the gas happens with rapidity

Liquids:

Adopts the form of the part of the container that occupies

does not expand to fill the container
Is practically incompressible
Flows with facility
The diffusion inside the liquid happens with slowness

Solids:

Supports his own form and volume

Is practically incompressible
Does not flow
The diffusion inside the solid one happens with extreme
slowness

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Solid state
The solid ones are characterized for its intermolecular attractive forces are intense
enough therefore it has form and volume constants. This owes to that the particles that
they them form are joined by a few big attractive forces so that they occupy almost fixed
positions.
In the solid state the particles only can move vibrating or ranging about fixed positions,
but they cannot move moving freely along the solid one. The particles in the solid state in
strict sense, they arrange of tidy form, with a spatial geometric regularity, which gives
place to diverse crystalline structures.

Liquid State
In the liquids the particles are joined by a few minor attractive forces that in the solid
ones, for this reason the particles of a liquid can move with freedom.

The intermolecular attractive forces are strong enough as to support together molecules.
This way, the liquids are much denser and much less compressible than the gases. The
liquids have a definite volume, independent from the size and the form of his container.

The number of particles for unit of volume is very high, for it the collisions and frictions
are very frequent between them. This way it explains that the liquids should not have
fixed form and should adopt the form of the container that contains them.
We call to solid and liquid condensed phases.

Gasseosus state
They consist of a collection of molecules separated by big distances and of constant
movement. The kinetic average energy of the molecules is very much major that the
energy happens of attractions between them, the lack of attractive forces allows to a gas
to expand up to filling the container that contains it.

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CHANGING STATE
When a body, for action of the heat or of the pressure it happens from a condition to
other one, we say that it has changed state.

Melting
When a solid is heated, its particles get more energy and vibrate more. This makes the
solid expand. The melting point is the temperature that must reach a solid substance to
fuse. Before this, the particles are arranged and move ranging about his positions, the
particles gain energy and move more fast, but his positions preserve.

At the melting point, the particles vibrate so much and the speed of the particles is it
sufficiently high in order that some of them could conquer the attractive forces of the
solid state and they leave the fixed positions that occupy. Finally the solid becomes liquid.

Heat Heat energy at

Energy melting point

Solid the particles vibrate more a liquid is formed

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HOW MUCH HEAT IS NEEDED?
The amount of heat needed to melt anyone substance is different for the others
substance. Thats because the particles in each substance are different, with different
forces between them. For the stronger forces, the heat energy needed to overcome
them is more. For example, the melting point of the pure water is 0 C to the atmospheric
normal pressure.

Boiling
It is realized when the temperature of the totality of the liquid is equal to the boiling-point
of the liquid to this pressure. If it is continued warming the liquid, this one absorbs the
heat, but without increasing the temperature: the heat uses in the conversion of the
matter in liquid state to the gaseous state, until the totality of the mass goes on to the
gaseous state. In this moment it is possible to increase the temperature of the matter,
already as gas.

This process is very different from the evaporation, which is gradual and for the one that,
in top altitudes, the atmospheric average pressure diminishes, for what the liquid needs
minor temperatures to enter boiling.

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 This makes the liquid expand. At the boiling point, the particles get enough energy to
overcome the forces between them. They break away to form a gas:

Heat Heat energy at

Energy boiling point

Slow moving particles liquid the particles move faster the particles get enough energy to escape

As the melting point, every element has a specific boiling-point:

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Evaporating
We call evaporation when the liquid state changes slowly to gaseous state, after having
acquired sufficient energy to conquer the superficial tension. Unlike the boiling, the
evaporation takes place to any temperature, being more rapid higher this.

The liquid turns steam, not gas as in the boiling

Condensing and solidifying

The condensation is the change of the matter that one finds in gaseous form (generally
steams) and goes on to liquid form. When steam is cooled, the particles lose energy. They
move more and more slowly. When they bump into each other, they do not have enough
energy to bounce away again. They stay close together, and a liquid forms.

Though change of the gas to liquid depends, between other factors, on the pressure and
on the temperature, generally it is called a condensation to the traffic that takes place to
pressures near to the environmental one. When an overpressure is used raised to force
this transition, the process is named a liquefaction.

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In the solidification the liquid is cooled, the particles slow down even more. Eventually
they stop moving, except for tiny vibrations, and solid forms.

Sublimation
The sublimation or volatilization is the process that consists of the change of solid state to
the gaseous state without happening for the liquid state. The inverse process is named
deposition or regressive sublimation; it is to say, the direct step of the gaseous state to the
solid state.

Sublimation of the iodine

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 Characteristics of solids, liquids and gases

United

Properties Solid Liquids Gases

Organization of Close together to each Not so separated. They Widely separated from
particles other are in contact with each each other.
other.
(Distance) Packaging

Forces Very strong Moderately strong and Virtually none

weak.
attraction

Movement It is very restricted. Vibration, rotation and Vibration, rotation and

Vibrate in fixed translation. They can translation. The translation
particles positions move at all times, slide is so large that the particles
over each other without are as free.
difficulty. Slower than in
gases.

Shape Defined Has no definite shape. Has no definite shape.

Volume Defined A given amount of liquid Acquire the volume of

has a definite volume their container.

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I. Mark the correct answer
Solid
1. In which two states are the particles
randomly arranged? Liquid

Liquid and solid Gas

6. Particles in which state have no bonds?

Liquid and gas

Liquid
Gas and solid

2. Solid

In which state are the particles only able to

vibrate in a fixed position? Gas

7. Particles in which state sit in a regular

Solid pattern and are held together tightly by
bonds?
Liquid
Solid
Gas
Liquid
3. Which state can be compressed or
squashed easily?
Gas

Solid II. Complete

Liquid

Gas

4. Which state is shown in this diagram?

Liquid ( ) The particles are moving about, are

changing places, are arranged in a random
way, are further apart, have more energy
Solid ( ) The particles are far apart, are moving
very fast, are moving in all directions, have
lots of energy, and are arranged in a random
Gas
way
( ) The particles are close together, cannot
5. Which state cannot flow from place to
change place, vibrate, are arranged in rows,
place? have less energy

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III. Answer these questions

a) What is the boiling point?

..

b) Which are the principal factors of the condensation?

..

c) Which is the difference between boiling and vaporization?

..

d) What is the sublimation?

e) Why are melting points different between the substances?

..

IV. Now say whether these statements are true or false.

a) The solids are very compressible . ( )

b) Boiling is the process for which the solid changes to liquid .. ( )

c) Every substance has a specific melting point. ( )

d) Evaporation is the rapid change of the liquid state to the gaseous ( )

e) The particles on the solids only can vibrate in its fixed position ( )

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 EXPERIMENTS
Experiment N 01
How to make a liquid becomes solid?

Cornstarch Experiment
Materials
1. cornmeal
2. spoon
3. container
4. water bottle

Development
Medley the water with cornmeal in the bowl
Dissolve with spoon until dough is made
Release a lock on the mass, strong and slow
Hit the dough with your hands, then tried to sink slowly.

Conclusions
A liquid can move to solid state or vice versa.
Solids have impact resistance.
The strong intermolecular forces are greater than in the liquid

Experiment N 02
A- Experiment water sailing and climbing
Materials
1. A container
2. A Candle
3. Water
4. A glass beaker

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Development
The cube has to be in a glass of water
Thread together with ice
Add salt on the hub and thread
We take the thread and seeing that we pull up the bucket straight sticks

Conclusions
The freezing process in solids depends on its temperature
The solids heat exchange
The salt is frozen because it receives a low temperature of the ice, first creating a
layer of water and then frozen at low temperatures

B. Experiment ice cube with salt

Materials
1. Ice cube
2. Wool yarn
3. Salt
4. Glass cup

Development
The cube has to be in a glass of water
Thread together with ice
Add salt on the hub and thread
We take the thread and seeing that we pull up the bucket straight sticks

Conclusions
The freezing process in solids depends on its temperature
The solids heat exchange
The salt is frozen because it receives a low temperature of the ice, first creating a
layer of water and then frozen at low temperatures

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Experiment N 03
The water suspension
Materials

1. a glass jar
2. a water bottle
3. cloth mosquetera
4. a container
5. adhesive tape

Development
With fabric-covered mosquetera mouth glass jar and set with adhesive tape.
Add water-half of the flask and cover with the board
-We turn the bottle gently and remove the cardboard where we observed that the
water does not fall while in balance.

Conclusions
Water does not fall due to the sum of atmospheric pressure and surface tension of the
molecules to support the weight of the water. If we turn the boat we apply more tension
on one side and the imbalance of forces produce water drops breaking the surface
tension.

Experiment N 04
Differences of a body liquid, solid and gas
Materials
1. a solid body
2. a glass with water
3. flask
4. syringe

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Procedure
Pressed the solid and try to break it trying to compress and stretch.
We move the water in the container to a flask. Then with a syringe absorb and try
to compress it.
With a syringe full of air compress treatment.

Conclusions
The shape of the solids is maintained and it is difficult to modify, also retain their
size.
The liquid because they have no defined shape adapted to the shape of the
container, cannot compress.
Gases are adapted to the container and do not retain their shape and size.

Experiment N 05
The volume solids, liquids and gases
Materials
1. A block of ice rectangular
2. A container
3. A specimen
4. A lighter
5. A rule

Procedure
Measure the volume of solid
Ice-heat the liquid to be
Add the liquid to the graduated cylinder and measure the volume
Comparing the two measured volumes

Conclusion
The volume in the solids is greater than in the liquid, because the intermolecular distance
in the liquid is greater than in the solids.

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