Liquids
Mercury, petrol and water are liquids at room temperature. The A general term for a small piece of matter. For example, protons, neutrons, electrons, atoms, ions or molecules. in a liquid are:
- close together
- arranged in a random way
Particles in a liquid
The particles in a liquid can:
- move around each other
The attractive forces (bonds) in a liquid are strong enough to keep the particles close together, but weak enough to let them move around each other.
The table shows some of the properties of liquids and why they are like this:
| Property | Reason |
| They flow and take the shape of the bottom of their container | The particles can move around each other |
| They cannot be compressed (squashed) | The particles are close together and have no space to move into |
| Property | They flow and take the shape of the bottom of their container |
|---|---|
| Reason | The particles can move around each other |
| Property | They cannot be compressed (squashed) |
|---|---|
| Reason | The particles are close together and have no space to move into |
Liquids are useful in car brake systems because they flow and cannot be compressed.