A 'solid' object is in the
states of matter characterized by resistance to
deformation and changes of
volume.
At the microscopic scale, a solid has these properties :
★ The
atoms or
molecules that comprise the solid are packed closely together.
★ These constituent elements have fixed
positions in
space relative to each other. This accounts for the solid's rigidity. In mineralogy and crystallography, a crystal structure is a unique arrangement of atoms in a crystal. A crystal structure is composed of a unit cell, a set of atoms arranged in a particular way; which is periodically repeated in three dimensions on a lattice. The spacing between unit cells in various directions is called its lattice parameters. The symmetry properties of the crystal are embodied in its space group. A crystal's structure and symmetry play a role in determining many of its properties, such as cleavage, electronic band structure, and optical properties.
★
★ If sufficient force is applied, either of these properties can be violated, causing permanent deformation.
★ Because any solid has some
thermal energy, its atoms vibrate. However, this movement is very small and very rapid, and cannot be observed or felt under ordinary conditions.
The branch of
physics that deals with solids is called '
solid-state physics', and is a type of
condensed matter physics.
Materials science is primarily concerned with properties of solids such as strength and
phase transformations. It overlaps strongly with solid-state physics.
Solid-state chemistry overlaps both of these fields, but is especially concerned with the synthesis of novel materials.
The lightest known solid is man-made and is called
aerogel. The lightest aerogel produced has a density of 1.9
mg/cm
3 or 1.9
kg/m
3 (1/530 as dense as water).
There are many solids in our every day lives. Some examples of solids are ice, wood, plastic, and more.