Solids, Liquids, and Gases
Most recent answer: 05/07/2009
Q:
We are studying solids, liquids and gases in science. I would like to know what material can be a solid, a liquid and a gas (not including water)?
- Megan Hill (age 10)
Arthur, Ontario, Canada
- Megan Hill (age 10)
Arthur, Ontario, Canada
A:
Almost all materials can be solids, liquids, and gases at the right temperatures and pressures. For example, at ordinary (atmospheric) pressure, nitrogen (N2) is a gas at room temperature (around 295 K) but turns liquid at a temperature of 77 K (that's Kelvin, the absolute temperature scale.) It turns solid a little bit colder, around 63 K.Copper, which is of course solid at room temperature, melts at 1358 K and then boils (turns to a gas) at 2835 K. If you look at various other elements and compounds on Wikipedia, you can find the temperatures at which they melt and boil.
Mike W.
Mike W.
(published on 05/07/2009)