– Properties of Liquid:
– Nearly incompressible fluid
– Conforms to container shape
– Retains constant volume regardless of pressure
– One of the four fundamental states of matter
– Definite volume but no fixed shape
– Comparison to Other States of Matter:
– Density close to solid, higher than gas
– Liquid and solid termed condensed matter
– Liquids and gases both called fluids
– Made of vibrating particles held by bonds
– Flows and takes shape of container
– Abundance and Rarity:
– Liquid water abundant on Earth
– Least common state of matter in the universe
– Liquids require specific temperature/pressure range
– Most matter in the universe is gas
– Liquids do not disperse to fill every space
– Surface Tension and Shape:
– Spherical droplet formation minimizes surface area
– Surface tension is a natural property of liquids
– Surface tension causes liquid drops to form spheres
– Liquid droplets tend to be spherical due to surface tension
– Surface tension enables insects to walk on water
– Molecular Composition:
– Composed of tiny vibrating matter particles
– Particles held together by intermolecular bonds
– Liquid maintains fairly constant density
– Liquid does not disperse to fill all container spaces
– Unlike gas, liquid maintains a fixed volume
A liquid is a nearly incompressible fluid that conforms to the shape of its container but retains a nearly constant volume independent of pressure. It is one of the four fundamental states of matter (the others being solid, gas, and plasma), and is the only state with a definite volume but no fixed shape.
The density of a liquid is usually close to that of a solid, and much higher than that of a gas. Therefore, liquid and solid are both termed condensed matter. On the other hand, as liquids and gases share the ability to flow, they are both called fluids.
A liquid is made up of tiny vibrating particles of matter, such as atoms, held together by intermolecular bonds. Like a gas, a liquid is able to flow and take the shape of a container. Unlike a gas, a liquid maintains a fairly constant density and does not disperse to fill every space of a container.
Although liquid water is abundant on Earth, this state of matter is actually the least common in the known universe, because liquids require a relatively narrow temperature/pressure range to exist. Most known matter in the universe is either gas (as interstellar clouds) or plasma (as stars).
English
Etymology
From Middle English liquide, from Old French liquide, from Latin liquidus (“fluid, liquid, moist”), from liqueō (“to be liquid, be fluid”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *wleykʷ- (“to flow, run”).
