Quote:
Originally Posted by Angel And The Wolf
glass is called a "super cooled liquid"
From https://www.reference.com/science/gl...dd009b92fd2973
"True solids form crystalline structures that lock molecules into place. They retain their shape unless the temperature increases to above their melting point. However, glass, amber and plastic do not form such solids when their liquid form cools. While glass is more rigid than liquid, it is not as ordered as crystalline solids." |
Exactly; chemists classify glass as an "amorphous solid."
Quote:
Originally Posted by Shaneajanderson
This is why I put the (mostly).
As far as the difference, in fluids the individual molecules move freely, but in a solid they are constrained by those around them. The 'flowing' in lead, asphalt, glass, and other such solids is do to shifting crystal structure, but the individual molecules hold their positions relative to each other, outside of this 'sliding' if you wish to call it that.
Hope that makes sense, I'm good with understanding, bad with wording.
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You're so close, I'm going to give it to you! Here's the technical definition:
"
A solid can resist a shear stress by a static deflection; a fluid cannot." (Emphasis in original; that's how fundamental this definition is to the study of fluid mechanics!).
Anyone else got any good physics riddles?