CHANGE OF STATE
    • state
    what the particles are doing
    solid 
    particles only vibrating slightly in place, often locked in a repeating structure called a crystal
    liquid 
    particles packed together, but free to slide around past each other
    gas 
    particles fly around freely; they collide with each other and any surfaces
    The block in the lower left corner represents a solid, the glass at top contains the liquid phase, and the lower left corner is gas.  (The little red lines are meant to show particle motion)
    The red arrows show the path when energy is added.
    The black arrows show the path when energy is released.

    Red Arrows:

  • from solid to liquid = melting
  • from liquid to gas = vaporization
  • from solid to gas = sublimation

    •  

     

    Black arrows:

  • from liquid to solid = freezing
  • from gas to liquid = condensation
  • from gas to solid = deposition

    • When pressure and/or temperature changes, the state of matter may be affected.  The diagram below shows the effects of pressure and temperature on the state of matter.