Wize University Chemistry Textbook > Gases and their Properties
Phases of Matter
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Phases of Matter
There are 3 phases of matter: solid, liquid, and gas. We need to have a general understanding of each one to understand how a phase change occurs. For example, for the phase change of a solid → liquid, energy is required to break apart some of the strong intermolecular forces that solids have!
Solid
- Don't fill the volume or take the shape of their container (have a fixed volume and shape)
- Hard
- Are not fluid like liquids and gases (don't flow unless extreme shearing/stretching forces)
- Has the strongest intermolecular forces
Liquid
- Don't fill the volume of the container, but take the shape of their container
- Fixed volume, not shape since if you transfer the liquid to a different container the volume of liquid will remain the same but the shape of the liquid will change depending on the shape of the container
- Fluid
- Has the weaker intermolecular forces
Gas
- Fill the volume and take the shape of their container
- Volume and shape is not fixed, both can change when you change the container that is holding the gas!
- Fluid
- Has the weakest intermolecular forces
- Note how the molecules are very spread apart from each other. This is because the intermolecular forces between them are very weak!
