amorphous solid

amorphous solid : An "amorphous solid" is a solid in which there is no long-range order of the positions of the atoms. (Solids in which there is long-range atomic order are called crystalline solids or morphous). Most classes of solid materials can be found or prepared in an amorphous form. For instance, common window glass is an amorphous solid, many polymers (such as polystyrene) are amorphous, and even foods such as cotton candy are amorphous solids. In principle, given a sufficiently high cooling rate, any liquid can be made into an amorphous solid. Cooling reduces molecular mobility. If the cooling rate is faster than the rate at which molecules can organize into a more thermodynamically favorable crystalline state, then an amorphous solid will be formed. Because of entropy considerations, many polymers can be made amorphous solids by cooling even at slow rates. In contrast, if molecules have sufficient time to organize into a structure with two- or three-dimensional order, then a..   More from Wikipedia

amorphous solid : Quasi-solid is the physical term for a semi- solid. While similar to a solid in some respects (it can support its own weight and hold its shape), a quasi-solid also shares some properties of liquids, such as shape conformity to something applying pressure to it, or the ability to flow under pressure...   More from Wikipedia

amorphous solid : The materials definition of a glass is a uniform amorphous solid material, usually produced when a suitably viscous molten material cools very rapidly. See also: Matter & Energy Materials Science Electronics Naturally occurring glass, such as obsidian, has been used since the stone age.. For more information about the topic Glass, read the full article at Wikipedia.org, or see the following related articles: Supercooling — Supercooling is the process of chilling a liquid below its freezing point, without it becoming solid. A liquid below its freezing point will ...  > read more Liquid — A liquid is one of the three ordinary phases of matter. It is a fluid whose shape is usually determined by the container it fills. Its volume is ...  > read more Viscosity — Viscosity is a measure of the resistance of a fluid to deformation under shear stress. It is commonly perceived as "thickness", or resistance to ...  > read more Pumice — Pumice is a highly vesicular pyroclastic igneou....   More from Science Daily

  Prof. Donald Sadoway introduces MIT 3.091 Introduction to Solid State Chemistry View the complete course at: ocw.mit.edu License: Creative Commons BY-NC-SA More information at ocw.mit.edu More courses at ocw.mit.edu

  universally present in our surroundings and the patterns made. Wilkinson also investigates the ambiguous nature of matter; the glass in Light Wave appears to be molten, inviting us to reflect on the paradoxical nature of glass as an amorphous solid. In 1998 Wilkinson began to experiment with spinning lines of lights whereby the traces produce voluminous forms. The sculptures, Green Ray and Lets Bounce, create illusory balls of light in mid air and have the presence of laboratory apparatus ...

Question : I always heard glass was a slow flowing liquid with a super high viscosity. When I looked it up, glass was labeled an Amorphous Solid. I know what both are, but I can't understand much of a difference. What's the difference in a liquid with a really high viscosity and an amorphous solid?

Answer : On the basis that all solids such as granite[26] flow to a small extent in response to shear stress, some researchers[27] have contended that substances known as amorphous solids, such as glass and many polymers, may be considered to have viscosity. This has led some to the view that solids are simply liquids with a very high viscosity, typically greater than 1012 Pa s. This position is often adopted by supporters of the widely held misconception that glass flow can be observed in old buildings. This distortion is more likely the result of the glass making process rather than the viscosity of glass.[28] However, others argue that solids are, in general, elastic for small stresses while fluids are not.[29] Even if solids flow at higher stresses, they are characterized by their low-stress behavior. Viscosity may be an appropriate characteristic for solids in a plastic regime. The situation becomes somewhat confused as the term viscosity is sometimes used for solid materials, for exam....   More from Yahoo Answers

Question : This isn't for a grade, it's for a study guide...... I'm trying to find out ways to test elasticity and fluidity in an amorphous solid. I'm in seventh grade, so they have to be pretty simple. No huge equations or anything, please.

Answer : OK. Not sure if you are trying to quantify this, but you could take a sample and just hang a weight from it. The viscous part of the response will cause the material to flow/creep somewhat over time and stretch permanently. Depending on the nature of the material, this could take seconds to years, depending (here I go) on the relaxation constant of the material which describes viscoelasticity. Similarly, you could stretch the material quickly and let it go and the elasticity can be measured by how much it recovers to its original length. Both would be dependent on temperature, how fast you stretched the material and how long you held it, etc, but these are some examples of principles of viscoelasticity. For a good example, use silly putty as the relaxation times are in a practical range. If you bounce it (fast deformation), it will look like a solid and bounce elastically. Or, if you pull it apart very fast, it will snap and look like a solid (elastic). If you j....   More from Yahoo Answers