All Topics  
Solid

 

 
   Email Print
   Bookmark   Link
 

 

Solid
 
 
  Topics Solid Topic Home

A solid object is in the states of matter characterized by resistance to deformation
Deformation

In materials science, deformation is a change in the shape or size of an object due to an applied force . This can be a result of tensile strength forces, compressive strength forces, Simple shear, bending or torsion ....
 and changes of volume
Volume

The volume of any solid, liquid, plasma, vacuum or theoretical object is how much three-dimensional space it occupies, often quantified numerically....
. In other words, it has high values both of Young's modulus
Young's modulus

In solid mechanics, Young's modulus is a measure of the stiffness of an isotropic elastic material. It is also known as the Young modulus, modulus of elasticity, elastic modulus or tensile modulus....
 and of shear modulus
Shear modulus

In materials science, shear modulus or modulus of rigidity, denoted by G, or sometimes S or ?, is defined as the ratio of shear stress to the shear strain:...
; this contrasts e.g. with a liquid
Liquid

Liquid is one of the principal states of matter. A liquid is a fluid that has the particles loose and can freely form a distinct surface at the boundaries of its bulk material....
, which has a low shear modulus. At the microscopic scale, a solid has these properties :

The branch of physics
Physics

Physics is the natural science which examines basic concepts such as energy, force, and spacetime and all that derives from these, such as mass, charge, matter and its Motion ....
 that deals with solids is called solid-state physics
Solid-state physics

Solid-state physics, the largest branch of condensed matter physics, is the study of rigid matter, or solids, through methods such as quantum mechanics, crystallography, electromagnetism and metallurgy....
, and is a type of condensed matter physics
Condensed matter physics

Condensed matter physics is the field of physics that deals with the macroscopic and microscopic physical properties of matter. In particular, it is concerned with the "condensed" phase that appear whenever the number of constituents in a system is extremely large and the interactions between the constituents are strong....
. Materials science
Materials science

Materials science or materials engineering is an interdisciplinary field involving the properties of matter and its applications to various areas of science and engineering....
 is primarily concerned with properties of solids such as strength and phase
Phase (matter)

In the physical sciences, a phase is a region of space , throughout which all physical properties of a material are essentially uniform. Examples of physical properties include density, refractive index, and chemical composition....
 transformations.






Discussion
Ask a question about 'Solid'
Start a new discussion about 'Solid'
Answer questions from other users
Full Discussion Forum



Encyclopedia


A solid object is in the states of matter characterized by resistance to deformation
Deformation

In materials science, deformation is a change in the shape or size of an object due to an applied force . This can be a result of tensile strength forces, compressive strength forces, Simple shear, bending or torsion ....
 and changes of volume
Volume

The volume of any solid, liquid, plasma, vacuum or theoretical object is how much three-dimensional space it occupies, often quantified numerically....
. In other words, it has high values both of Young's modulus
Young's modulus

In solid mechanics, Young's modulus is a measure of the stiffness of an isotropic elastic material. It is also known as the Young modulus, modulus of elasticity, elastic modulus or tensile modulus....
 and of shear modulus
Shear modulus

In materials science, shear modulus or modulus of rigidity, denoted by G, or sometimes S or ?, is defined as the ratio of shear stress to the shear strain:...
; this contrasts e.g. with a liquid
Liquid

Liquid is one of the principal states of matter. A liquid is a fluid that has the particles loose and can freely form a distinct surface at the boundaries of its bulk material....
, which has a low shear modulus. At the microscopic scale, a solid has these properties :
  • The atom
    Atom

    |-! bgcolor=gray | Properties|-||}The atom is a basic unit of matter consisting of a dense, central atomic nucleus surrounded by a electron cloud of electric charge electrons....
    s or molecule
    Molecule

    In chemistry, a molecule is defined as a sufficiently stable, electric charge neutral group of at least two atoms in a definite arrangement held together by very strong chemical bonds....
    s that compose the solid are packed closely together.
  • These constituent elements have fixed position
    Position

    Position may refer to:* A location in a coordinate system, usually in two or more dimensions; the science of position and its generalizations is topology...
    s in space
    Space

    Space is the boundless, three-dimensional extent in which Physical body and events occur and have relative position and direction. Physical space is often conceived in three linear dimensions, although modern physics usually consider it, with time, to be part of the boundless four-dimensional continuum known as spacetime....
     relative to each other. This accounts for the solid's rigidity. In mineralogy and crystallography, a crystal structure is a unique arrangement of atoms in a crystal. A crystal structure is composed of a unit cell, a set of atoms arranged in a particular way; which is periodically repeated in three dimensions on a lattice. The spacing between unit cells in various directions is called its lattice parameters. The symmetry properties of the crystal are embodied in its space group. A crystal's structure and symmetry play a role in determining many of its properties, such as cleavage
    Cleavage (crystal)

    Cleavage, in mineralogy, is the tendency of crystalline materials to split along definite Crystallography structural planes. These planes of relative weakness are a result of the regular locations of atoms and ions in the crystal, which create smooth repeating surfaces that are visible both in the microscope and to the naked eye....
    , electronic band structure, and optical properties.
    • If sufficient force is applied, either of these properties can be disrupted, causing permanent deformation.
  • Because solids have thermal energy
    Thermal energy

    Thermal energy is a form of energy that manifests itself as an increase of temperature. It is also the sum of sensible heat and latent heat....
    , their atoms vibrate. However, this movement is very small, and cannot be observed or felt under ordinary conditions.


The branch of physics
Physics

Physics is the natural science which examines basic concepts such as energy, force, and spacetime and all that derives from these, such as mass, charge, matter and its Motion ....
 that deals with solids is called solid-state physics
Solid-state physics

Solid-state physics, the largest branch of condensed matter physics, is the study of rigid matter, or solids, through methods such as quantum mechanics, crystallography, electromagnetism and metallurgy....
, and is a type of condensed matter physics
Condensed matter physics

Condensed matter physics is the field of physics that deals with the macroscopic and microscopic physical properties of matter. In particular, it is concerned with the "condensed" phase that appear whenever the number of constituents in a system is extremely large and the interactions between the constituents are strong....
. Materials science
Materials science

Materials science or materials engineering is an interdisciplinary field involving the properties of matter and its applications to various areas of science and engineering....
 is primarily concerned with properties of solids such as strength and phase
Phase (matter)

In the physical sciences, a phase is a region of space , throughout which all physical properties of a material are essentially uniform. Examples of physical properties include density, refractive index, and chemical composition....
 transformations. It overlaps strongly with solid-state physics. Solid-state chemistry
Solid-state chemistry

Solid-state chemistry is the study of the synthesis, structure, and physical properties of solid materials. It therefore has a strong overlap with solid-state physics, mineralogy, crystallography, ceramics, metallurgy, thermodynamics, materials science and electronics with a focus on the synthesis of novel materials and their characterization...
 overlaps both of these fields, but is especially concerned with the synthesis of novel materials.

The lightest known solids are aerogel
Aerogel

Aerogel is a low-density solid material derived from gel in which the liquid component of the gel has been replaced with gas. The result is an extremely low density solid with several remarkable properties, most notably its effectiveness as a thermal conductivity....
s. The lightest aerogel produced has a density of 1.9 mg/cm³ or 1.9 kg
Kilogram

The kilogram or kilogrammeThe spelling kilogram is used by the International Committee for Weights and Measures and the U.S....
/m³ (1/530 the density of water).

External links

  • on solids