• Question: what are the features of a liquid and a solid?

    Asked by gooda to Audra, Fiona, Gavin, Justin, Steve on 14 Mar 2012.
    • Photo: Justin Lawley

      Justin Lawley answered on 14 Mar 2012:

      I don’t know specifically of the top of my head but I think the difference is to do with phases. A liquids and solids are both in a solid phases because their particles a very close together. However, liquid particles Have no sepsific arrangement and move freely over each other. Whereas, the particles in a solid are in a Regular pattern and only vibrate. Anyone please feel free to elaborate….

    • Photo: Fiona Hatch

      Fiona Hatch answered on 14 Mar 2012:

      Don’t worry Justin what you said is correct 😛

      For example lets us take water and ice cubes. Both are made up of the same thing – water molecules (H2O). What is different between the two, is how close the H2O is packed together.

      In the liquid water the molecules are able to move around each other and do what they like, and so it is a liquid.

      But when water is frozen to form ice, the molecules create a hexagon shape and become packed very very close together so they cannot move at all. This makes ice a solid.

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