Solids
Steel, plastic and wood are solids at room temperature. Ice is solid water. The A general term for a small piece of matter. For example, protons, neutrons, electrons, atoms, ions or molecules. in a solid are:
- close together
- arranged in a regular way
Particles in a solid
Strong forces, called The chemical link that holds molecules together., attract the particles towards each other. This means that the particles in a solid:
- can vibrate in a fixed position
- cannot move from place to place
The table shows some of the properties of solids and why they are like this:
| Property | Reason |
| They have a fixed shape and cannot flow | The particles cannot move from place to place |
| They cannot be compressed (squashed) | The particles are close together and have no space to move into |
| Property | They have a fixed shape and cannot flow |
|---|---|
| Reason | The particles cannot move from place to place |
| Property | They cannot be compressed (squashed) |
|---|---|
| Reason | The particles are close together and have no space to move into |
Solids such as concrete are useful for buildings and their foundations because they cannot be Made smaller by squeezing together..