Solids

Solids are the substances which are rigid, hard have definite shape and definite volume.

Properties of solids

Packing: The atom ion and molecule that make up a solid are closely packed
Movement: The constituent atoms, ions and molecules that make up solids cannot move at random and are fixed
in position.

Forces: The atom ion and molecule that make up solids are held together by strong cohesive forces.
Arrangement: The atoms ion and molecule that make up a solid exist in a well ordered arrangement.
Types of solids

Amorphous Solids Crystalline solids

Solids having no definite arrangement of atom ion or Solids having definite arrangement of atoms ions and
molecule molecules
They do not have sharp melting point They have definite Melting point.
Example: Glass, plastic, rubber. Example: Sugar sodium chloride , diamond.

Crystalline solids can be changed into

amorphous
Crystalline solids can be changed into amorphous by melting them and by cooling the molten mass rapidly In this
way the constituent particle do not find time to arrange themselves.

Crystalline
There is no longer range of regular arrangement in amorphous solids but there are some small regions where the
atoms are present in some regular arrangement these are called crystallites.

Characteristics or properties of crystalline solids

Geometrical shape: They have geometrical shape, due to orderly arrangement of atoms ions and molecules.

Melting point: The temperature at which a solid changes from solid to liquid is known as M.P of solids. Crystalline
solids have sharp M.P. they can be identified by their Melting Points.

Cleavage planes: The plane surfaces formed by the breaking of a crystal are known as crystal cleavage planes. The
angle between the adjacent cleavages of a crystal of a substance are the same, but are different in the crystals of
different substances. In other words, these angles are characteristics of crystalline solids.

Anisotropy Crystalline Solids: The crystals show variation in physical properties depending upon the direction are
called anisotropic properties and the phenomenon is referred to as anisotropy.

Properties
 Refractive  Coefficient of thermal  Electrical and thermal  Cleavage
index expansion conductivities plane
 The variation in these properties with direction is due to fact that the orderly arrangement of the particles in
crystalline solids is different in different directions. For example, electrical conductivity of graphite is greater in one
direction than in another. Actually electrons in graphite are mobile for electrical conduction parallel to the layers
only. Similarly, cleavage itself is an isotropic behavior.