There is a FOURTH STATE OF MATTER, called plasma. It is the kind of "gas" we find within the interior of the sun and other typical stars. This plasma obeys normal gas laws, but the actual form of the gas does not consist of atoms, but rather of a gas of electrons and ions (atomic remains when electrons are stripped off) can be said that there is actually one additional state of matter.
Perhaps we might even want to add another state of matter in between they plasma and this state when we learn more about the actual nature of atoms and nuclei themselves. This state could be called Primordial Soup, a system of particles, no longer atoms or even nuclei of atoms, but a mixture of the basic building blocks of the "things" that go together to make the simplest elements of matter.
Saturday, September 6, 2008
CHAPTER SEVEN
KINETIC MODEL OF MATTER
Lets have a look at the several states of matter. To do this, let us consider two kinds of mechanical energy. Potential energy is the energy of position. Suppose we lift a book up off of the table. If we drop it, it gains speed and makes a disturbing sound as it meets the table again. It had energy because of its position relative to the table. When it was on the table it had no potential energy, but when lifted it had positive potential energy. When that book was released from a height above the table, it gained speed. Because it had speed in motion it had a special kind of energy, called kinetic energy or energy of motion. These two basic kinds of energy, and their relative strengths, can be used in a simplistic model of the states of matter.
THE FIVE STATES OF MATTER
The first is a solid. We are familiar with solids. They are rigid and do not deform very easily. Because the atoms themselves, whatever their nature, do not readily move around, although they may vibrate back and forth in position, we say that they have a relatively low degree of kinetic energy. Thus we can characterize solids as a set of particles (call them atoms) in a fairly structured arrangement. In this system we find a relatively high degree of potential energy holding the particles in position and a low degree of kinetic energy of motion.
The second stateof matter are liquids. They, on the other hand have some degree of potential energy in that the particles making it up do not have complete freedom of motion throughout the system, but instead are held soemwhat in place. Yet, the particles do move about. We find here competition between the two kinds of energies, potential and kinetic energy.
The third state of matter is the gaseous state. The gaseous phase can be considered essentially the opposite of the solid. Here we find the particles in what we call random motion, not at all structured in position. They are constrained only by a container. They are free to move back and forth in the system, colliding with each other in a random manner.
Lets have a look at the several states of matter. To do this, let us consider two kinds of mechanical energy. Potential energy is the energy of position. Suppose we lift a book up off of the table. If we drop it, it gains speed and makes a disturbing sound as it meets the table again. It had energy because of its position relative to the table. When it was on the table it had no potential energy, but when lifted it had positive potential energy. When that book was released from a height above the table, it gained speed. Because it had speed in motion it had a special kind of energy, called kinetic energy or energy of motion. These two basic kinds of energy, and their relative strengths, can be used in a simplistic model of the states of matter.
THE FIVE STATES OF MATTER
The first is a solid. We are familiar with solids. They are rigid and do not deform very easily. Because the atoms themselves, whatever their nature, do not readily move around, although they may vibrate back and forth in position, we say that they have a relatively low degree of kinetic energy. Thus we can characterize solids as a set of particles (call them atoms) in a fairly structured arrangement. In this system we find a relatively high degree of potential energy holding the particles in position and a low degree of kinetic energy of motion.
The second stateof matter are liquids. They, on the other hand have some degree of potential energy in that the particles making it up do not have complete freedom of motion throughout the system, but instead are held soemwhat in place. Yet, the particles do move about. We find here competition between the two kinds of energies, potential and kinetic energy.
The third state of matter is the gaseous state. The gaseous phase can be considered essentially the opposite of the solid. Here we find the particles in what we call random motion, not at all structured in position. They are constrained only by a container. They are free to move back and forth in the system, colliding with each other in a random manner.
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