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Liquid is one of the four primary states of matter, with the others being solid, gas and plasma. A liquid is a fluid. Unlike a solid, the molecules in a liquid have a much greater freedom to move. The forces that bind the molecules together in a solid are only temporary in a liquid, allowing a liquid to flow while a solid remains rigid.
Matter in the liquid state maintains a fixed volume (assuming no change in temperature or air pressure), but has a variable shape that adapts to fit its container. Its particles are still close together but move freely. Matter in the gaseous state has both variable volume and shape, adapting both to fit its container.
Water molecules stay close to each other , due to the collective action of hydrogen bonds between water molecules. These hydrogen bonds are constantly breaking, with new bonds being formed with different water molecules; but at any given time in a sample of liquid water, a large portion of the molecules are held together by such bonds. [61]
Momentum transport in gases is mediated by discrete molecular collisions, and in liquids by attractive forces that bind molecules close together. [19] Because of this, the dynamic viscosities of liquids are typically much larger than those of gases.
Mesomorphic states: States of matter intermediate between solid and liquid. Plastic crystal: A molecular solid with long-range positional order but with constituent molecules retaining rotational freedom. Liquid crystal: Properties intermediate between liquids and crystals. Generally, able to flow like a liquid but exhibiting long-range ...
Adhesion – the attraction of molecules or compounds for other molecules of a different kind; Specific heat capacity – the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of one gram of a substance by one degree Celsius; Heat of vaporization – the amount of energy needed to change one gram of a liquid substance to a gas at constant temperature
The attractive force draws molecules closer together and gives a real gas a tendency to occupy a smaller volume than an ideal gas. Which interaction is more important depends on temperature and pressure (see compressibility factor). In a gas, the distances between molecules are generally large, so intermolecular forces have only a small effect.
The study of liquid and glass structure aims to gain insight into their behavior and physical properties, so that they can be understood, predicted and tailored for specific applications. Since the structure and resulting behavior of liquids and glasses is a complex many body problem , historically it has been too computationally intensive to ...