Any substance consists of molecules, and its physical properties depend on how the molecules are ordered and how they interact with each other. IN ordinary life We observe three aggregate states of matter - solid, liquid and gaseous.

For example, water can be in solid (ice), liquid (water) and gaseous (steam) states.

Gas expands until it fills the entire volume allotted to it. If we consider a gas at the molecular level, we will see molecules randomly rushing about and colliding with each other and with the walls of the vessel, which, however, practically do not interact with each other. If you increase or decrease the volume of the vessel, the molecules will evenly redistribute in the new volume.

Unlike gas at a given temperature, it occupies a fixed volume, however, it also takes the form of a filled vessel - but only below its surface level. At the molecular level, the easiest way to think of a liquid is as spherical molecules that, although they are in close contact with each other, are free to roll around each other, like round beads in a jar. Pour a liquid into a vessel - and the molecules will quickly spread and fill the lower part of the volume of the vessel, as a result, the liquid will take its shape, but will not spread in the full volume of the vessel.

Solid has its own shape, does not spread over the volume of the containerand does not take its form. At the microscopic level, atoms are attached to each other by chemical bonds, and their position relative to each other is fixed. At the same time, they can form both rigid ordered structures - crystal lattices - and a random heap - amorphous bodies (this is precisely the structure of polymers, which look like tangled and sticky pasta in a bowl).

Three classical aggregate states of matter have been described above. There is, however, a fourth state, which physicists tend to classify as aggregate. This is the plasma state. Plasma is characterized by partial or complete stripping of electrons from their atomic orbits, while the free electrons themselves remain inside the substance.

We can observe the change in the aggregate states of matter with our own eyes in nature. Water from the surface of water bodies evaporates and clouds form. So the liquid turns into a gas. In winter, the water in the reservoirs freezes, turning into a solid state, and in the spring it melts again, turning back into a liquid. What happens to the molecules of a substance when it changes from one state to another? Are they changing? Are, for example, ice molecules different from vapor molecules? The answer is unequivocal: no. The molecules remain exactly the same. Their kinetic energy changes, and, accordingly, the properties of the substance.

The energy of the vapor molecules is high enough to fly apart different sides, and when cooled, the vapor condenses into a liquid, and the molecules still have enough energy for almost free movement, but not enough to break away from the attraction of other molecules and fly away. With further cooling, the water freezes, becoming a solid body, and the energy of the molecules is no longer enough even for free movement inside the body. They oscillate about one place, held by the attractive forces of other molecules.

The most widespread knowledge is about three states of aggregation: liquid, solid, gaseous, sometimes they think about plasma, less often liquid crystal. Lately a list of 17 phases of matter, taken from the famous () Stephen Fry, has spread on the Internet. Therefore, we will talk about them in more detail, because. one should know a little more about matter, if only in order to better understand the processes taking place in the Universe.

The list of aggregate states of matter given below increases from the coldest states to the hottest, and so on. may be continued. At the same time, it should be understood that from the gaseous state (No. 11), the most “expanded”, on both sides of the list, the degree of compression of the substance and its pressure (with some reservations for such unexplored hypothetical states as quantum, ray, or weakly symmetric) increase. After the text a visual graph of the phase transitions of matter is given.

1. Quantum- the state of aggregation of matter, achieved when the temperature drops to absolute zero, as a result of which internal bonds disappear and matter crumbles into free quarks.

2. Bose-Einstein condensate- the aggregate state of matter, which is based on bosons cooled to temperatures close to absolute zero (less than a millionth of a degree above absolute zero). In such a strongly cooled state, a sufficiently large number of atoms find themselves in their minimum possible quantum states, and quantum effects begin to manifest themselves at the macroscopic level. Bose-Einstein condensate (often referred to as "Bose condensate", or simply "back") occurs when you cool a chemical element to extremely low temperatures (usually just above absolute zero, minus 273 degrees Celsius). , is the theoretical temperature at which everything stops moving).
This is where strange things start to happen. Processes normally only observable at the atomic level now occur on scales large enough to be observed with the naked eye. For example, if you put a "back" in a beaker and provide the desired temperature, the substance will begin to crawl up the wall and eventually get out on its own.
Apparently, here we are dealing with a futile attempt by matter to lower its own energy (which is already at the lowest of all possible levels).
Slowing down atoms using cooling equipment produces a singular quantum state known as a Bose condensate, or Bose-Einstein. This phenomenon was predicted in 1925 by A. Einstein, as a result of a generalization of the work of S. Bose, where statistical mechanics was built for particles, ranging from massless photons to atoms with mass (Einstein's manuscript, which was considered lost, was found in the library of Leiden University in 2005 ). The result of the efforts of Bose and Einstein was the Bose concept of a gas that obeys Bose-Einstein statistics, which describes the statistical distribution of identical particles with integer spin, called bosons. Bosons, which are, for example, both individual elementary particles - photons, and whole atoms, can be with each other in the same quantum states. Einstein suggested that cooling atoms - bosons to very low temperatures, would cause them to go (or, in other words, condense) into the lowest possible quantum state. This condensation will result in new form substances.
This transition occurs below the critical temperature, which is for a homogeneous three-dimensional gas consisting of non-interacting particles without any internal degrees of freedom.

3. Fermionic condensate- the state of aggregation of a substance, similar to the backing, but differing in structure. When approaching absolute zero, atoms behave differently depending on the magnitude of their own angular momentum (spin). Bosons have integer spins, while fermions have spins that are multiples of 1/2 (1/2, 3/2, 5/2). Fermions obey the Pauli exclusion principle, which states that two fermions cannot have the same quantum state. For bosons, there is no such prohibition, and therefore they have the opportunity to exist in one quantum state and thereby form the so-called Bose-Einstein condensate. The process of formation of this condensate is responsible for the transition to the superconducting state.
Electrons have spin 1/2 and are therefore fermions. They combine into pairs (so-called Cooper pairs), which then form a Bose condensate.
American scientists attempted to obtain a kind of molecule from fermion atoms by deep cooling. The difference from real molecules was that there was no chemical bond between the atoms - they just moved together in a correlated manner. The bond between atoms turned out to be even stronger than between electrons in Cooper pairs. For the pairs of fermions formed, the total spin is no longer a multiple of 1/2, therefore, they already behave like bosons and can form a Bose condensate with a single quantum state. During the experiment, a gas of potassium-40 atoms was cooled to 300 nanokelvins, while the gas was enclosed in a so-called optical trap. Then an external magnetic field was applied, with the help of which it was possible to change the nature of interactions between atoms - instead of strong repulsion, strong attraction began to be observed. When analyzing the influence of the magnetic field, it was possible to find such a value at which the atoms began to behave like Cooper pairs of electrons. At the next stage of the experiment, scientists propose to obtain the effects of superconductivity for the fermionic condensate.

4. Superfluid matter- a state in which the substance has virtually no viscosity, and during the flow it does not experience friction with hard surface. The consequence of this is, for example, interesting effect, as a complete spontaneous "creeping out" of superfluid helium from the vessel along its walls against gravity. Of course, there is no violation of the law of conservation of energy here. In the absence of friction forces, only gravity forces act on helium, forces of interatomic interaction between helium and the walls of the vessel and between helium atoms. So, the forces of interatomic interaction exceed all other forces combined. As a result, helium tends to spread as much as possible over all possible surfaces, and therefore "travels" along the walls of the vessel. In 1938, the Soviet scientist Pyotr Kapitsa proved that helium can exist in a superfluid state.
It is worth noting that many of the unusual properties of helium have been known for quite some time. However, in recent years, this chemical element has been “spoiling” us with interesting and unexpected effects. So, in 2004, Moses Chan and Eun-Syong Kim from the University of Pennsylvania were intrigued by scientific world claiming that they had succeeded in obtaining a completely new state of helium - a superfluid solid. In this state, some helium atoms in the crystal lattice can flow around others, and helium can thus flow through itself. The effect of "superhardness" was theoretically predicted back in 1969. And in 2004 - as if experimental confirmation. However, later and very curious experiments showed that everything is not so simple, and perhaps such an interpretation of the phenomenon, which was previously taken for the superfluidity of solid helium, is incorrect.
The experiment of scientists led by Humphrey Maris from Brown University in the USA was simple and elegant. The scientists placed a test tube turned upside down into a closed tank of liquid helium. Part of the helium in the test tube and in the tank was frozen in such a way that the boundary between liquid and solid inside the test tube was higher than in the tank. In other words, there was liquid helium in the upper part of the test tube, and solid helium in the lower part; it smoothly passed into the solid phase of the tank, over which a little liquid helium was poured - lower than the liquid level in the test tube. If liquid helium began to seep through solid, then the level difference would decrease, and then we can speak of solid superfluid helium. And in principle, in three out of 13 experiments, the level difference did decrease.

5. Superhard matter- a state of aggregation in which matter is transparent and can "flow" like a liquid, but in fact it is devoid of viscosity. Such liquids have been known for many years and are called superfluids. The fact is that if the superfluid is stirred, it will circulate almost forever, while the normal liquid will eventually calm down. The first two superfluids were created by researchers using helium-4 and helium-3. They were cooled almost to absolute zero - to minus 273 degrees Celsius. And from helium-4, American scientists managed to get a superhard body. They compressed the frozen helium by pressure more than 60 times, and then the glass filled with the substance was installed on a rotating disk. At a temperature of 0.175 degrees Celsius, the disk suddenly began to rotate more freely, which, according to scientists, indicates that helium has become a superbody.

6. Solid- the state of aggregation of matter, characterized by the stability of the form and the nature of the thermal motion of atoms, which make small vibrations around the equilibrium positions. The stable state of solids is crystalline. Distinguish solids with ionic, covalent, metallic, and other types of bonds between atoms, which determines the variety of their physical properties. The electrical and some other properties of solids are mainly determined by the nature of the motion of the outer electrons of its atoms. According to their electrical properties, solids are divided into dielectrics, semiconductors, and metals; according to their magnetic properties, they are divided into diamagnets, paramagnets, and bodies with an ordered magnetic structure. The investigations of the properties of solids have united into a large field—solid-state physics, the development of which is being stimulated by the needs of technology.

7. Amorphous solid- a condensed state of aggregation of a substance, characterized by the isotropy of physical properties due to the disordered arrangement of atoms and molecules. In amorphous solids, atoms vibrate around randomly located points. Unlike the crystalline state, the transition from a solid amorphous to liquid occurs gradually. Various substances are in the amorphous state: glasses, resins, plastics, etc.

8. Liquid crystal- this is a specific state of aggregation of a substance in which it simultaneously exhibits the properties of a crystal and a liquid. We must immediately make a reservation that not all substances can be in the liquid crystal state. However, some organic substances with complex molecules can form a specific state of aggregation - liquid crystal. This state is carried out during the melting of crystals of certain substances. When they melt, a liquid-crystalline phase is formed, which differs from ordinary liquids. This phase exists in the range from the melting temperature of the crystal to some higher temperature, when heated to which the liquid crystal transforms into an ordinary liquid.
How does a liquid crystal differ from a liquid and an ordinary crystal and how is it similar to them? Like an ordinary liquid, a liquid crystal has fluidity and takes the form of a vessel in which it is placed. In this it differs from the crystals known to all. However, despite this property, which unites it with a liquid, it has a property characteristic of crystals. This is the ordering in space of the molecules that form the crystal. True, this ordering is not as complete as in ordinary crystals, but, nevertheless, it significantly affects the properties of liquid crystals, which distinguishes them from ordinary liquids. The incomplete spatial ordering of the molecules that form a liquid crystal manifests itself in the fact that in liquid crystals there is no complete order in the spatial arrangement of the centers of gravity of the molecules, although there may be a partial order. This means that they do not have a rigid crystal lattice. Therefore, liquid crystals, like ordinary liquids, have the property of fluidity.
An obligatory property of liquid crystals, which brings them closer to ordinary crystals, is the presence of an order in the spatial orientation of molecules. Such an order in orientation can manifest itself, for example, in the fact that all long axes of molecules in a liquid crystal sample are oriented in the same way. These molecules should have an elongated shape. In addition to the simplest named ordering of the axes of molecules, a more complex orientational order of molecules can be realized in a liquid crystal.
Depending on the type of ordering of the molecular axes, liquid crystals are divided into three types: nematic, smectic and cholesteric.
Research on the physics of liquid crystals and their applications is currently being carried out on a wide front in all the most developed countries of the world. Domestic research is concentrated both in academic and industrial research institutions and has a long tradition. The works of V.K. Frederiks to V.N. Tsvetkov. In recent years, the rapid study of liquid crystals, Russian researchers also make a significant contribution to the development of the theory of liquid crystals in general and, in particular, the optics of liquid crystals. So, the works of I.G. Chistyakova, A.P. Kapustina, S.A. Brazovsky, S.A. Pikina, L.M. Blinov and many other Soviet researchers are widely known to the scientific community and serve as the foundation for a number of effective technical applications of liquid crystals.
The existence of liquid crystals was established a very long time ago, namely in 1888, that is, almost a century ago. Although scientists had encountered this state of matter before 1888, it was officially discovered later.
The first to discover liquid crystals was the Austrian botanist Reinitzer. Investigating the new substance cholesteryl benzoate synthesized by him, he found that at a temperature of 145 ° C, the crystals of this substance melt, forming a cloudy liquid that strongly scatters light. With continued heating, upon reaching a temperature of 179 ° C, the liquid becomes clear, that is, it begins to behave optically like an ordinary liquid, such as water. Cholesteryl benzoate showed unexpected properties in the turbid phase. Examining this phase under a polarizing microscope, Reinitzer found that it has birefringence. This means that the refractive index of light, that is, the speed of light in this phase, depends on the polarization.

9. Liquid- the state of aggregation of a substance, combining the features of a solid state (conservation of volume, a certain tensile strength) and a gaseous state (shape variability). A liquid is characterized by a short-range order in the arrangement of particles (molecules, atoms) and a small difference in the kinetic energy of the thermal motion of molecules and their potential energy of interaction. The thermal motion of liquid molecules consists of oscillations around equilibrium positions and relatively rare jumps from one equilibrium position to another, which is associated with the fluidity of the liquid.

10. Supercritical fluid(GFR) is the state of aggregation of a substance, in which the difference between the liquid and gas phases disappears. Any substance at a temperature and pressure above the critical point is a supercritical fluid. The properties of a substance in the supercritical state are intermediate between its properties in the gas and liquid phases. Thus, SCF has a high density, close to liquid, and low viscosity, like gases. The diffusion coefficient in this case has an intermediate value between liquid and gas. Substances in the supercritical state can be used as substitutes organic solvents in laboratory and industrial processes. Supercritical water and supercritical carbon dioxide have received the greatest interest and distribution in connection with certain properties.
One of the most important properties of the supercritical state is the ability to dissolve substances. By changing the temperature or pressure of the fluid, one can change its properties in a wide range. Thus, it is possible to obtain a fluid whose properties are close to either a liquid or a gas. Thus, the dissolving power of a fluid increases with increasing density (at a constant temperature). Since the density increases with increasing pressure, changing the pressure can affect the dissolving power of the fluid (at a constant temperature). In the case of temperature, the dependence of fluid properties is somewhat more complicated - at a constant density, the dissolving power of the fluid also increases, but near the critical point, a slight increase in temperature can lead to a sharp drop in density, and, accordingly, dissolving power. Supercritical fluids mix with each other indefinitely, so when the critical point of the mixture is reached, the system will always be single-phase. The approximate critical temperature of a binary mixture can be calculated as the arithmetic mean of the critical parameters of the substances Tc(mix) = (mole fraction of A) x TcA + (mole fraction of B) x TcB.

11. Gaseous- (French gaz, from Greek chaos - chaos), the aggregate state of matter in which the kinetic energy of the thermal motion of its particles (molecules, atoms, ions) significantly exceeds the potential energy of interactions between them, and therefore the particles move freely, uniformly filling in the absence of external fields, the entire volume provided to them.

12. Plasma- (from the Greek plasma - fashioned, shaped), a state of matter, which is an ionized gas, in which the concentrations of positive and negative charges are equal (quasi-neutrality). The vast majority of matter in the Universe is in the plasma state: stars, galactic nebulae and the interstellar medium. Near the Earth, plasma exists in the form solar wind, magnetosphere and ionosphere. High-temperature plasma (T ~ 106 - 108 K) from a mixture of deuterium and tritium is being studied with the aim of implementing a controlled thermonuclear fusion. Low-temperature plasma (T Ј 105K) is used in various gas-discharge devices (gas lasers, ion devices, MHD generators, plasma torches, plasma engines, etc.), as well as in technology (see Plasma metallurgy, Plasma drilling, Plasma technology).

13. Degenerate matter- is an intermediate stage between plasma and neutronium. It is observed in white dwarfs and plays an important role in the evolution of stars. When atoms are under conditions of extremely high temperatures and pressures, they lose their electrons (they go into an electron gas). In other words, they are completely ionized (plasma). The pressure of such a gas (plasma) is determined by the electron pressure. If the density is very high, all particles are forced to approach each other. Electrons can be in states with certain energies, and two electrons cannot have the same energy (unless their spins are opposite). Thus, in a dense gas, all lower energy levels turn out to be filled with electrons. Such a gas is called degenerate. In this state, the electrons exhibit a degenerate electron pressure that opposes the forces of gravity.

14. Neutronium- the state of aggregation into which the substance passes when over high pressure, unattainable so far in the laboratory, but existing inside neutron stars. During the transition to the neutron state, the electrons of matter interact with protons and turn into neutrons. As a result, matter in the neutron state consists entirely of neutrons and has a density of the order of nuclear. The temperature of the substance in this case should not be too high (in energy equivalent, not more than a hundred MeV).
With a strong increase in temperature (hundreds of MeV and above), in the neutron state, various mesons begin to be born and annihilate. With a further increase in temperature, deconfinement occurs, and the matter passes into the state of quark-gluon plasma. It no longer consists of hadrons, but of constantly born and disappearing quarks and gluons.

15. Quark-gluon plasma(chromoplasm) - aggregate state of matter in high energy physics and physics elementary particles, in which the hadronic matter passes into a state similar to the state in which electrons and ions are found in ordinary plasma.
Usually the matter in hadrons is in the so-called colorless ("white") state. That is, quarks of different colors compensate each other. A similar state exists in ordinary matter - when all atoms are electrically neutral, that is,
positive charges in them are compensated by negative ones. At high temperatures, ionization of atoms can occur, while the charges are separated, and the substance becomes, as they say, "quasi-neutral". That is, the entire cloud of matter as a whole remains neutral, and its individual particles cease to be neutral. Presumably, the same thing can happen with hadronic matter - at very high energies, color is released and makes the substance "quasi-colorless".
Presumably, the matter of the Universe was in the state of quark-gluon plasma in the first moments after the Big Bang. Now quark-gluon plasma can be formed for a short time in collisions of particles of very high energies.
Quark-gluon plasma was obtained experimentally at the RHIC accelerator at Brookhaven National Laboratory in 2005. The maximum plasma temperature of 4 trillion degrees Celsius was obtained there in February 2010.

16. Strange substance- state of aggregation, in which matter is compressed to the limit values ​​of density, it can exist in the form of "quark soup". A cubic centimeter of matter in this state would weigh billions of tons; besides, it will turn any normal substance with which it comes into contact into the same "strange" form with the release of a significant amount of energy.
The energy that can be released during the transformation of the substance of the core of a star into a "strange substance" will lead to a super-powerful explosion of a "quark nova" - and, according to Leahy and Wyed, it was precisely this explosion that astronomers observed in September 2006.
The process of formation of this substance began with an ordinary supernova, into which a massive star turned. As a result of the first explosion, a neutron star was formed. But, according to Leahy and Wyed, it did not last long - as its rotation seemed to be slowed down by its own magnetic field, it began to shrink even more, with the formation of a clot of "strange stuff", which led to an even more powerful than in a normal supernova explosion, the release of energy - and the outer layers of the substance of the former neutron star, flying into the surrounding space at a speed close to the speed of light.

17. Strongly symmetrical matter- this is a substance compressed to such an extent that the microparticles inside it are layered on top of each other, and the body itself collapses into a black hole. The term "symmetry" is explained as follows: Let's take the aggregate states of matter known to everyone from the school bench - solid, liquid, gaseous. For definiteness, consider an ideal infinite crystal as a solid. It has a certain, so-called discrete symmetry with respect to translation. This means that if the crystal lattice is shifted by a distance equal to the interval between two atoms, nothing will change in it - the crystal will coincide with itself. If the crystal is melted, then the symmetry of the resulting liquid will be different: it will increase. In a crystal, only points that were distant from each other at certain distances, the so-called nodes of the crystal lattice, in which identical atoms were located, were equivalent.
The liquid is homogeneous throughout its volume, all its points are indistinguishable from one another. This means that liquids can be displaced by any arbitrary distances (and not just by some discrete ones, as in a crystal) or rotated by any arbitrary angles (which cannot be done in crystals at all) and it will coincide with itself. Its degree of symmetry is higher. The gas is even more symmetrical: the liquid occupies a certain volume in the vessel and there is an asymmetry inside the vessel, where there is liquid, and points where it is not. The gas, on the other hand, occupies the entire volume provided to it, and in this sense all its points are indistinguishable from one another. Nevertheless, it would be more correct to speak here not about points, but about small, but macroscopic elements, because at the microscopic level there are still differences. At some points in this moment time has atoms or molecules, while others do not. Symmetry is observed only on average, either in some macroscopic volume parameters, or in time.
But there is still no instantaneous symmetry at the microscopic level. If the substance is compressed very strongly, to pressures that are unacceptable in everyday life, compressed so that the atoms were crushed, their shells penetrated each other, and the nuclei began to touch, symmetry arises at the microscopic level. All nuclei are the same and pressed against each other, there are not only interatomic, but also internuclear distances, and the substance becomes homogeneous (strange substance).
But there is also a submicroscopic level. Nuclei are made up of protons and neutrons that move around inside the nucleus. There is also some space between them. If you continue to compress so that the nuclei are also crushed, the nucleons will tightly press against each other. Then, at the submicroscopic level, symmetry will appear, which is not even inside ordinary nuclei.
From what has been said, one can see a quite definite trend: the higher the temperature and more pressure, the more symmetrical the substance becomes. Based on these considerations, the substance compressed to the maximum is called strongly symmetrical.

18. Weakly symmetrical matter- a state opposite to strongly symmetrical matter in its properties, which was present in the very early Universe at a temperature close to the Planck temperature, perhaps 10-12 seconds after the Big Bang, when strong, weak and electromagnetic forces were a single superforce. In this state, the matter is compressed to such an extent that its mass is converted into energy, which begins to inflate, that is, expand indefinitely. It is not yet possible to achieve energies for the experimental production of superpower and the transfer of matter to this phase under terrestrial conditions, although such attempts were made at the Large Hadron Collider in order to study the early universe. Due to the absence of gravitational interaction in the composition of the superforce that forms this substance, the superforce is not sufficiently symmetrical in comparison with the supersymmetric force, which contains all 4 types of interactions. Therefore, this state of aggregation received such a name.

19. Radiation matter- this, in fact, is no longer a substance, but energy in its purest form. However, it is this hypothetical state of aggregation that a body that has reached the speed of light will take. It can also be obtained by heating the body to the Planck temperature (1032K), that is, by dispersing the molecules of the substance to the speed of light. As follows from the theory of relativity, when the speed reaches more than 0.99 s, the mass of the body begins to grow much faster than with "normal" acceleration, in addition, the body lengthens, warms up, that is, it begins to radiate in the infrared spectrum. When crossing the threshold of 0.999 s, the body radically changes and begins a rapid phase transition up to the beam state. As follows from Einstein's formula, taken in full, the growing mass of the final substance is made up of masses that are separated from the body in the form of thermal, X-ray, optical and other radiation, the energy of each of which is described by the next term in the formula. Thus, a body approaching the speed of light will begin to radiate in all spectra, grow in length and slow down in time, thinning to the Planck length, that is, upon reaching speed c, the body will turn into an infinitely long and thin beam moving at the speed of light and consisting of photons that have no length, and its infinite mass will completely turn into energy. Therefore, such a substance is called radiation.

Introduction

1. Aggregate state of matter - gas

2. Aggregate state of matter - liquid

3. Aggregate state of matter - solid

4. The fourth state of matter is plasma

Conclusion

List of used literature

Introduction

As you know, many substances in nature can be in three states: solid, liquid and gaseous.

The interaction of particles of matter in the solid state is most pronounced. The distance between molecules is approximately equal to their own sizes. This leads to a sufficiently strong interaction, which practically deprives the particles of the opportunity to move: they oscillate around a certain equilibrium position. They retain their shape and volume.

The properties of liquids are also explained by their structure. Particles of matter in liquids interact less intensively than in solids, and therefore they can change their location abruptly - liquids do not retain their shape - they are fluid.

A gas is a collection of molecules moving randomly in all directions independently of each other. Gases do not have their own shape, they occupy the entire volume provided to them and are easily compressed.

There is another state of matter - plasma.

The purpose of this work is to consider the existing aggregate states of matter, to identify all their advantages and disadvantages.

To do this, it is necessary to perform and consider the following aggregate states:

2. fluids

3. solids

3. Aggregate state of matter - solid

Solid, one of the four states of aggregation of matter, which differs from other states of aggregation (liquids, gases, plasmas) the stability of the form and the nature of the thermal motion of atoms that make small vibrations around the equilibrium positions. Along with the crystalline state of T. t., there is an amorphous state, including the glassy state. Crystals are characterized by long-range order in the arrangement of atoms. There is no long-range order in amorphous bodies.

State of aggregation- a state of matter characterized by certain qualitative properties: the ability or inability to maintain volume and shape, the presence or absence of long-range and short-range order, and others. Change state of aggregation may be accompanied by abrupt changes free energy, entropy, density and other basic physical properties.
There are three main states of aggregation: solid, liquid and gas. Sometimes it is not entirely correct to classify plasma as a state of aggregation. There are other states of aggregation, for example, liquid crystals or Bose-Einstein condensate. Changes in the state of aggregation are thermodynamic processes called phase transitions. The following varieties are distinguished: from solid to liquid - melting; from liquid to gaseous - evaporation and boiling; from solid to gaseous - sublimation; from gaseous to liquid or solid - condensation; from liquid to solid - crystallization. Distinctive feature is the absence of a sharp boundary of the transition to the plasma state.
Aggregate state definitions are not always strict. So, there are amorphous bodies that retain the structure of a liquid and have little fluidity and the ability to retain shape; liquid crystals are fluid, but at the same time they have some properties of solids, in particular, they can polarize electromagnetic radiation passing through them. To describe various states in physics, more than broad concept thermodynamic phase. Phenomena that describe transitions from one phase to another are called critical phenomena.
The physical state of matter depends on physical conditions, in which it is located, mainly on temperature and pressure. The determining quantity is the ratio of the average potential energy of the interaction of molecules to their average kinetic energy. So, for a solid body this ratio is greater than 1, for gases it is less than 1, and for liquids it is approximately equal to 1. The transition from one state of aggregation of a substance to another is accompanied by an abrupt change in the value given relationship associated with an abrupt change in intermolecular distances and intermolecular interactions. In gases, the intermolecular distances are large, the molecules almost do not interact with each other and move almost freely, filling the entire volume. In liquids and solids - condensed media - molecules (atoms) are located much closer to each other and interact more strongly.
This leads to the preservation of liquids and solids of their volume. However, the nature of the movement of molecules in solids and liquids is different, which explains the difference in their structure and properties.
In solids in a crystalline state, atoms only vibrate near the nodes of the crystal lattice; the structure of these bodies is characterized a high degree orderliness - long-range and short-range order. The thermal motion of molecules (atoms) of a liquid is a combination of small fluctuations around equilibrium positions and frequent jumps from one equilibrium position to another. The latter determine the existence in liquids of only short-range order in the arrangement of particles, as well as their inherent mobility and fluidity.
but. Solid- a state characterized by the ability to maintain volume and shape. Atoms of a solid body make only small vibrations around the state of equilibrium. There is both long-range and short-range order.
b. Liquid- a state of matter in which it has low compressibility, that is, it retains its volume well, but is not able to retain its shape. The liquid easily takes the shape of the vessel in which it is placed. Atoms or molecules of a liquid vibrate near the equilibrium state, locked by other atoms, and often jump to other free places. There is only short-range order.
Melting- this is the transition of a substance from a solid state of aggregation (see Aggregate states of matter) to a liquid. This process occurs during heating, when a certain amount of heat +Q is imparted to the body. For example, the low-melting metal lead passes from a solid state to a liquid state if it is heated to a temperature of 327 ° C. Lead easily melts into gas stove, for example, in a stainless steel spoon (it is known that the flame temperature of a gas burner is 600-850°C, and the melting point of steel is 1300-1500°C).
If, while melting lead, its temperature is measured, then it will be found that at first it gradually increases, but after a certain moment it remains constant, despite further heating. This moment corresponds to melting. The temperature is held constant until all the lead has melted, and only then does it begin to rise again. When liquid lead is cooled, the opposite is observed: the temperature drops until solidification begins and remains constant all the time until the lead passes into the solid phase, and then drops again.
All pure substances behave in the same way. The constancy of temperature during melting is of great practical importance, since it allows calibrating thermometers, making fuses and indicators that melt at a strictly specified temperature.
Atoms in a crystal vibrate about their equilibrium positions. As the temperature rises, the oscillation amplitude increases and reaches a certain critical value, after which crystal cell is destroyed. This requires additional thermal energy, therefore, during the melting process, the temperature does not rise, although heat continues to flow.
The melting point of a substance depends on pressure. For substances whose volume increases during melting (and the vast majority of them), an increase in pressure increases the melting point and vice versa. At water, the volume decreases during melting (therefore, when it freezes, water breaks pipes), and when pressure increases, ice melts at a lower temperature. Bismuth, gallium and some grades of cast iron behave in a similar way.
in. Gas- a condition characterized by good compressibility, the lack of the ability to maintain both volume and shape. Gas tends to occupy the entire volume provided to it. Atoms or molecules of a gas behave relatively freely, the distances between them are much greater than their size.
Plasma, often referred to as a state of aggregation of matter, differs from gas in a high degree of ionization of atoms. Most of the baryonic matter (by mass approx. 99.9%) in the Universe is in the plasma state.
g. C supercritical fluid- Occurs with a simultaneous increase in temperature and pressure to a critical point, at which the density of the gas is compared with the density of the liquid; in this case, the boundary between the liquid and gaseous phases disappears. The supercritical fluid has an exceptionally high dissolving power.
d. Bose-Einstein condensate- is obtained by cooling the Bose gas to temperatures close to absolute zero. As a result, some of the atoms are in a state with strictly zero energy (that is, in the lowest possible quantum state). The Bose-Einstein condensate exhibits a number of quantum properties such as superfluidity and Fischbach resonance.
e. Fermionic condensate- is a Bose-condensation in the BCS mode of "atomic Cooper pairs" in gases consisting of fermion atoms. (In contrast to the traditional mode of Bose-Einstein condensation of compound bosons).
Such fermionic atomic condensates are "relatives" of superconductors, but with a critical temperature of the order of room temperature and above.
Degenerate matter - Fermi gas 1st stage Electron degenerate gas, observed in white dwarfs, plays an important role in the evolution of stars. The 2nd stage is the neutron state where matter passes under ultrahigh pressure, which is unattainable in the laboratory yet, but exists inside neutron stars. During the transition to the neutron state, the electrons of matter interact with protons and turn into neutrons. As a result, matter in the neutron state consists entirely of neutrons and has a density of the order of nuclear. The temperature of the substance in this case should not be too high (in energy equivalent, not more than a hundred MeV).
With a strong increase in temperature (hundreds of MeV and above), in the neutron state, various mesons begin to be born and annihilate. With a further increase in temperature, deconfinement occurs, and the matter passes into the state of quark-gluon plasma. It no longer consists of hadrons, but of constantly born and disappearing quarks and gluons. Perhaps deconfinement occurs in two stages.
With a further unlimited increase in pressure without an increase in temperature, the matter collapses into a black hole.
With a simultaneous increase in both pressure and temperature, other particles are added to quarks and gluons. What happens to matter, space and time at temperatures close to the Planck temperature is still unknown.
Other states
During deep cooling, some (by no means all) substances pass into a superconducting or superfluid state. These states, of course, are separate thermodynamic phases, but they hardly deserve to be called new aggregate states of matter due to their non-universality.
Inhomogeneous substances such as pastes, gels, suspensions, aerosols, etc., which under certain conditions demonstrate the properties of both solids and liquids and even gases, are usually classified as dispersed materials, and not to any specific aggregate states of matter .

Questions about what a state of aggregation is, what features and properties possess solids, liquids and gases are considered in several training courses. There are three classical states of matter, with their own characteristic features of the structure. Their understanding is important point in comprehending the sciences about the Earth, living organisms, production activities. These questions are studied by physics, chemistry, geography, geology, physical chemistry and other scientific disciplines. Substances that are under certain conditions in one of the three basic types of state can change with an increase or decrease in temperature or pressure. Let us consider possible transitions from one state of aggregation to another, as they are carried out in nature, technology and everyday life.

What is a state of aggregation?

The word of Latin origin "aggrego" in translation into Russian means "to attach". The scientific term refers to the state of the same body, substance. Existence under certain temperature values and different pressure of solids, gases and liquids is typical for all shells of the Earth. In addition to the three basic aggregate states, there is also a fourth. At elevated temperature and constant pressure, the gas turns into a plasma. To better understand what a state of aggregation is, it is necessary to remember the smallest particles that make up substances and bodies.

The diagram above shows: a - gas; b - liquid; c is a rigid body. In these figures, the circles represent structural elements substances. This symbol, in fact, atoms, molecules, ions are not solid balls. Atoms consist of a positively charged nucleus around which negatively charged electrons move at high speed. Knowledge of the microscopic structure of matter helps to better understand the differences that exist between different aggregate forms.

Ideas about the microworld: from Ancient Greece to the 17th century

The first information about the particles that make up physical bodies appeared in Ancient Greece. Thinkers Democritus and Epicurus introduced such a concept as an atom. They believed that these smallest indivisible particles different substances have a shape, a certain size, are capable of movement and interaction with each other. Atomistics became the most advanced teaching of ancient Greece for its time. But its development slowed down in the Middle Ages. Since then scientists were persecuted by the Inquisition of the Roman Catholic Church. Therefore, until modern times, there was no clear concept of what the state of aggregation of matter is. Only after the 17th century did the scientists R. Boyle, M. Lomonosov, D. Dalton, A. Lavoisier formulate the provisions of the atomic-molecular theory, which have not lost their significance even today.

Atoms, molecules, ions - microscopic particles of the structure of matter

A significant breakthrough in understanding the microcosm occurred in the 20th century, when the electron microscope was invented. Taking into account the discoveries made by scientists earlier, it was possible to put together a harmonious picture of the microworld. Theories describing the state and behavior of the smallest particles of matter are quite complex, they belong to the field. To understand the features of different aggregate states of matter, it is enough to know the names and features of the main structural particles that form different substances.

1. Atoms are chemically indivisible particles. Saved in chemical reactions, but are destroyed in the nuclear. Metals and many other substances of atomic structure have a solid state of aggregation when normal conditions.
2. Molecules are particles that are broken down and formed in chemical reactions. oxygen, water, carbon dioxide, sulfur. The state of aggregation of oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur dioxide, carbon, oxygen under normal conditions is gaseous.
3. Ions are charged particles that atoms and molecules turn into when they gain or lose electrons - microscopic negatively charged particles. Many salts have an ionic structure, for example, table salt, iron and copper sulfate.

There are substances whose particles are located in space in a certain way. The ordered mutual position of atoms, ions, molecules is called a crystal lattice. Usually ionic and atomic crystal lattices are typical for solids, molecular - for liquids and gases. Diamond has a high hardness. Its atomic crystal lattice is formed by carbon atoms. But soft graphite also consists of atoms of this chemical element. Only they are located differently in space. The usual state of aggregation of sulfur is a solid, but at high temperatures the substance turns into a liquid and an amorphous mass.

Substances in a solid state of aggregation

Solids under normal conditions retain their volume and shape. For example, a grain of sand, a grain of sugar, salt, a piece of rock or metal. If sugar is heated, the substance begins to melt, turning into a viscous brown liquid. Stop heating - again we get a solid. This means that one of the main conditions for the transition of a solid into a liquid is its heating or an increase in the internal energy of the particles of the substance. The solid state of aggregation of salt, which is used in food, can also be changed. But to melt table salt, you need a higher temperature than when heating sugar. The fact is that sugar consists of molecules, and table salt consists of charged ions, which are more strongly attracted to each other. Solids in liquid form do not retain their shape because the crystal lattices break down.

The liquid state of aggregation of the salt during melting is explained by the breaking of the bond between the ions in the crystals. Charged particles are released that can carry electrical charges. Molten salts conduct electricity and are conductors. In the chemical, metallurgical and engineering industries, solids are converted into liquids to obtain new compounds from them or give them different shapes. Metal alloys are widely used. There are several ways to obtain them, associated with changes in the state of aggregation of solid raw materials.

Liquid is one of the basic states of aggregation

If you pour 50 ml of water into a round bottom flask, you will notice that the substance immediately takes the form of a chemical vessel. But as soon as we pour the water out of the flask, the liquid will immediately spread over the surface of the table. The volume of water will remain the same - 50 ml, and its shape will change. These features are characteristic of the liquid form of the existence of matter. Liquids are many organic substances: alcohols, vegetable oils, acids.

Milk is an emulsion, that is, a liquid in which there are droplets of fat. A useful liquid mineral is oil. It is extracted from wells using drilling rigs on land and in the ocean. Sea water is also a raw material for industry. Its difference from the fresh water of rivers and lakes lies in the content of dissolved substances, mainly salts. During evaporation from the surface of water bodies, only H 2 O molecules pass into the vapor state, solutes remain. Methods for obtaining useful substances from sea ​​water and how to clean it.

With complete removal of salts, distilled water is obtained. It boils at 100°C and freezes at 0°C. The brines boil and turn into ice at different temperatures. For example, water in the Arctic Ocean freezes at a surface temperature of 2°C.

The aggregate state of mercury under normal conditions is a liquid. This silver-gray metal is usually filled with medical thermometers. When heated, the column of mercury rises on the scale, the substance expands. Why is alcohol tinted with red paint used, and not mercury? This is explained by the properties of liquid metal. At 30-degree frosts, the state of aggregation of mercury changes, the substance becomes solid.

If the medical thermometer is broken and the mercury has spilled out, then it is dangerous to collect silver balls with your hands. It is harmful to inhale mercury vapor, this substance is very toxic. Children in such cases need to seek help from parents, adults.

gaseous state

Gases cannot retain their volume or shape. Fill the flask to the top with oxygen chemical formula About 2). As soon as we open the flask, the molecules of the substance will begin to mix with the air in the room. This is due to Brownian motion. Even the ancient Greek scientist Democritus believed that the particles of matter are in constant motion. In solids, under normal conditions, atoms, molecules, ions do not have the opportunity to leave the crystal lattice, to free themselves from bonds with other particles. This is possible only when a large amount of energy is supplied from outside.

In liquids, the distance between particles is slightly greater than in solids; they require less energy to break intermolecular bonds. For example, the liquid aggregate state of oxygen is observed only when the gas temperature drops to −183 °C. At -223 ° C, O 2 molecules form a solid. When the temperature rises above the given values, oxygen turns into a gas. It is in this form that it is under normal conditions. On the industrial enterprises there are special installations for separating atmospheric air and obtaining nitrogen and oxygen from it. First, the air is cooled and liquefied, and then the temperature is gradually increased. Nitrogen and oxygen turn into gases under different conditions.

The Earth's atmosphere contains 21% oxygen and 78% nitrogen by volume. In liquid form, these substances are not found in the gaseous envelope of the planet. Liquid oxygen has a light blue color and is filled at high pressure into cylinders for use in medical facilities. In industry and construction, liquefied gases are necessary for many processes. Oxygen is needed for gas welding and cutting of metals, in chemistry - for the oxidation reactions of inorganic and organic substances. If you open the valve of an oxygen cylinder, the pressure decreases, the liquid turns into a gas.

Liquefied propane, methane and butane are found wide application in energy, transport, industry and household activities of the population. These substances are obtained from natural gas or during the cracking (splitting) of petroleum feedstock. Carbon liquid and gaseous mixtures play an important role in the economy of many countries. But oil and natural gas reserves are severely depleted. According to scientists, this raw material will last for 100-120 years. An alternative source of energy is air flow (wind). Fast-flowing rivers, tides on the shores of the seas and oceans are used to operate power plants.

Oxygen, like other gases, can be in the fourth state of aggregation, representing a plasma. An unusual transition from a solid to a gaseous state is a characteristic feature of crystalline iodine. A dark purple substance undergoes sublimation - turns into a gas, bypassing the liquid state.

How are transitions from one aggregate form of matter to another carried out?

Changes in the aggregate state of substances are not associated with chemical transformations, these are physical phenomena. When the temperature rises, many solids melt and turn into liquids. A further increase in temperature can lead to evaporation, that is, to the gaseous state of the substance. In nature and economy, such transitions are characteristic of one of the main substances on Earth. Ice, liquid, steam are the states of water under different external conditions. The compound is the same, its formula is H 2 O. At a temperature of 0 ° C and below this value, water crystallizes, that is, it turns into ice. When the temperature rises, the resulting crystals are destroyed - the ice melts, liquid water is again obtained. When it is heated, evaporation is formed - the transformation of water into gas - goes on even when low temperatures. For example, frozen puddles gradually disappear because the water evaporates. Even in frosty weather, wet clothes dry out, but this process is longer than on a hot day.

All the listed transitions of water from one state to another are of great importance for the nature of the Earth. Atmospheric phenomena, climate and weather are associated with the evaporation of water from the surface of the oceans, the transfer of moisture in the form of clouds and fog to land, precipitation (rain, snow, hail). These phenomena form the basis of the World water cycle in nature.

How do the aggregate states of sulfur change?

Under normal conditions, sulfur is bright shiny crystals or a light yellow powder, that is, it is a solid. The aggregate state of sulfur changes when heated. First, when the temperature rises to 190 ° C, the yellow substance melts, turning into a mobile liquid.

If you quickly pour liquid sulfur into cold water, you get a brown amorphous mass. With further heating of the sulfur melt, it becomes more and more viscous and darkens. At temperatures above 300 ° C, the state of aggregation of sulfur changes again, the substance acquires the properties of a liquid, becomes mobile. These transitions arise due to the ability of the atoms of the element to form chains of different lengths.

Why can substances be in different physical states?

Aggregate state of sulfur - a simple substance- solid under normal conditions. Sulfur dioxide is a gas, sulfuric acid is an oily liquid heavier than water. Unlike hydrochloric and nitric acids, it is not volatile; molecules do not evaporate from its surface. What state of aggregation has plastic sulfur, which is obtained by heating crystals?

In an amorphous form, the substance has the structure of a liquid, having a slight fluidity. But plastic sulfur simultaneously retains its shape (as a solid). There are liquid crystals that have a number of characteristic properties of solids. Thus, the state of a substance under different conditions depends on its nature, temperature, pressure, and other factors. external conditions.

What are the features in the structure of solids?

The existing differences between the main aggregate states of matter are explained by the interaction between atoms, ions and molecules. For example, why does the solid aggregate state of matter lead to the ability of bodies to maintain volume and shape? In the crystal lattice of a metal or salt, structural particles are attracted to each other. In metals, positively charged ions interact with the so-called "electron gas" - the accumulation of free electrons in a piece of metal. Salt crystals arise due to the attraction of oppositely charged particles - ions. The distance between the above structural units of solids is much smaller than the size of the particles themselves. In this case, electrostatic attraction acts, it gives strength, and repulsion is not strong enough.

To destroy the solid state of aggregation of a substance, efforts must be made. Metals, salts, atomic crystals melt at very high temperatures. For example, iron becomes liquid at temperatures above 1538 °C. Tungsten is refractory and is used to make incandescent filaments for light bulbs. There are alloys that become liquid at temperatures above 3000 °C. Many on Earth are in a solid state. This raw material is extracted with the help of equipment in mines and quarries.

To detach even one ion from a crystal, it is necessary to expend a large amount of energy. But after all, it is enough to dissolve salt in water for the crystal lattice to disintegrate! This phenomenon is explained amazing properties water as a polar solvent. H 2 O molecules interact with salt ions, destroying the chemical bond between them. Thus, dissolution is not a simple mixing of different substances, but a physical and chemical interaction between them.

How do the molecules of liquids interact?

Water can be liquid, solid and gas (steam). These are its main states of aggregation under normal conditions. Water molecules are made up of one oxygen atom with two hydrogen atoms bonded to it. There is a polarization of the chemical bond in the molecule, a partial negative charge appears on the oxygen atoms. Hydrogen becomes the positive pole in the molecule and is attracted to the oxygen atom of another molecule. This is called the "hydrogen bond".

The liquid state of aggregation is characterized by distances between structural particles comparable to their sizes. The attraction exists, but it is weak, so the water does not retain its shape. Vaporization occurs due to the destruction of bonds, which occurs on the surface of the liquid even at room temperature.

Are there intermolecular interactions in gases?

The gaseous state of a substance differs from liquid and solid in a number of parameters. Between the structural particles of gases there are large gaps much larger than the molecular size. In this case, the forces of attraction do not work at all. The gaseous state of aggregation is characteristic of substances present in the air: nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide. In the figure below, the first cube is filled with a gas, the second with a liquid, and the third with a solid.

Many liquids are volatile; molecules of a substance break off from their surface and pass into the air. For example, if to the opening of an open bottle with hydrochloric acid bring a cotton swab dipped in ammonia then white smoke appears. Right in the air, a chemical reaction occurs between hydrochloric acid and ammonia, ammonium chloride is obtained. What state of matter is this substance in? Its particles, which form white smoke, are the smallest solid crystals of salt. This experiment must be carried out under an exhaust hood, the substances are toxic.

Conclusion

The state of aggregation of gas has been studied by many eminent physicists and chemists: Avogadro, Boyle, Gay-Lussac, Claiperon, Mendeleev, Le Chatelier. Scientists have formulated laws that explain the behavior of gaseous substances in chemical reactions when external conditions change. Open regularities not only entered the school and university textbooks of physics and chemistry. Many chemical industries are based on knowledge about the behavior and properties of substances in different states of aggregation.