State of Matter Definition - Chemistry Glossary

Physics and chemistry both study matter, energy, and interactions between them. From the laws of thermodynamics, scientists know matter can change states and the sum of the matter and energy of a system is constant. When energy is added or removed to matter, it changes state to form a state of matter. A state of matter is defined as one of the ways in which matter can interact with itself to form a homogeneous phase. State of Matter vs Phase of Matter The phrases state of matter and phase of matter are used interchangeably. For the most part, this is fine. Technically a system can contain several phases of the same state of matter. For example, a bar of steel (a solid) may contain ferrite, cementite, and austenite. A mixture of oil and vinegar (a liquid) contains two separate liquid phases. States of Matter In everyday life, four phases of matter exist: solids, liquids, gases, and plasma. However, several other states of matter have been discovered. Some of these other states occur at the boundary between two states of matter where a substance doesnt really display the properties of either state. Others are most exotic. This is a list of some states of matter and their properties: Solid: A solid has a defined shape and volume. Particles within a solid are packed very close together fixed in an ordered arrangement. The arrangement may be sufficiently ordered to form a crystal (e.g., NaCl or table salt crystal, quartz) or the arrangement may be disordered or amorphous (e.g., wax, cotton, window glass). Liquid: A liquid has a defined volume but lacks a defined shape. Particles within a liquid are not packed as close together as in a solid, allowing them to slide against each other. Examples of liquids include water, oil, and alcohol. Gas: A gas lacks either a defined shape or volume. Gas particles are widely separated. Examples of gases include air and the helium in a balloon. Plasma: Like a gas, a plasma lacks a defined shape or volume. However, the particles of a plasma are electrically charged and are separated by vast differences. Examples of plasma include lightning and the aurora. Glass: A glass is an amorphous solid intermediate between a crystalline lattice and a liquid. It is sometimes considered a separate state of matter because it has properties distinct from solids or liquids and because it exists in a metastable state. Superfluid: A superfluid is a second liquid state that occurs near absolute zero. Unlike a normal liquid, a superfluid has zero viscosity. Bose-Einstein Condensate: A Bose-Einstein condensate may be called the fifth state of matter. In a Bose-Einstein condensate the particles of matter stop behaving as individual entities and may be described with a single wavefunction. Fermionic Condensate: Like a Bose-Einstein condensate, particles in a fermionic condensate may be described by one uniform wavefunction. The difference is the condensate is formed by fermions. Because of the Pauli exclusion principle, fermions cant share the same quantum state, but in this case pairs of fermions behave as bosons. Dropleton: This is a quantum fog of electrons and holes that flow much like a liquid. Degenerate Matter: Degenerate matter is actually a collection of exotic states of matter that occur under extremely high pressure (e.g., within the cores of stars or massive planets like Jupiter). The term degenerate derives from the way matter can exist in two states with the same energy, making them interchangeable. Gravitational Singularity: A singularity, like at the center of a black hole, is not a state of matter. However, it bears noting because its an object formed by mass and energy that lacks matter. Phase Changes Between States of Matter Matter can change states when energy is added or removed from the system. Usually, this energy results from changes in pressure or temperature. When matter changes states it undergoes a phase transition or phase change. Sources Goodstein, D. L. (1985). States of Matter. Dover Phoenix. ISBN 978-0-486-49506-4.Murthy, G.; et al. (1997). Superfluids and Supersolids on Frustrated Two-Dimensional Lattices. Physical Review B. 55 (5): 3104. doi:10.1103/PhysRevB.55.3104Sutton, A. P. (1993). Electronic Structure of Materials. Oxford Science Publications. pp. 10–12. ISBN 978-0-19-851754-2.Valigra, Lori (June 22, 2005) MIT Physicists Create New Form of Matter. MIT News.Wahab, M.A. (2005). Solid State Physics: Structure and Properties of Materials. Alpha Science. pp. 1–3. ISBN 978-1-84265-218-3.

Women s Sexual Experience By Sylvia Plath s The Bell...

Plath’s novel gives a unique account the hypocrisy women faced in terms of their sexual experience. Through the eyes of the main character, Ester Greenwood, the novel focuses on the struggle between what women were beginning to gain and the antiquated notions of female purity and innocence. Ultimately, The Bell Jar critiques the gendered double standard women faced regarding sex in the mid-twenty-first century in its exploration of purity, equality, and freedom. The novel begins when Ester is nineteen and â€Å"pureness was the great issue† (82). She is encumbered by an older generation – like her mother whom mails her copies of articles on topics like â€Å"Defense of Chastity,† – and her own generation of young, educated and autonomous women. As a young woman off at school, Ester would see the sexual proclivities of her dorm mates. Her views on abstinence and innocence would be contemporary; thus, while Ester recognizes the traditional views on virginity and marriage, she does not embrace them. Even though Ester is a virgin, she believes that men and women should have the same amount of everything, everything including sexual experience. Ester states that if her future spouse was experienced she would have merely â€Å"gone out and slept with somebody myself just to even things up, and then thought not more about it† (71). Esters critique of sexual experience is simply that the standards should be equal. There is no anger or betrayal behind her thoughts on sexual experience, only that ifShow MoreRelatedThe Bell Jar : Literary Analysis2261 Words   |  10 Pages2014 The Bell Jar: Literary Analysis With Author Biography Sylvia Plath is a renowned poet and author. She fantasied the world with her powerful writings. Beloved to the world, she truly changed women s status. 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Women’s role in society during this time also contributes to Esther’s qualitiesRead MoreThe Bell Jar By Sylvia Plath1940 Words   |  8 PagesAccording to the Merriam Webster dictionary, the definition of the word â€Å"bell jar† is, â€Å"a bell-shaped usually glass vessel designed to contain objects or preserve gases and or a vacuum†. Sylvia Plath’s title, The Bell Jar, symbolically represents her feeling towards the secl usion and inferiority women endured trapped by societes glass vessel during the 1950’s. 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Moreover, it was the liberated women who inspired and initiated the womens liberation movement.    In The Politics of Housework Pat Mainardi writes, Liberated women - veryRead More Present the way in which imprisonment is presented in The Bell Jar1960 Words   |  8 Pagesis presented in The Bell Jar The bell jar is an inverted glass jar, generally used to display an object of scientific curiosity. Present the way in which imprisonment is presented in ‘The Bell Jar’ The bell jar is an inverted glass jar, generally used to display an object of scientific curiosity, contain a certain kind of gas, or maintain a vacuum. For Esther, the bell jar symbolizes madness. When gripped by insanity, she feels as if she is inside an airless jar that distorts her perspective

Drugs and Alcohol free essay sample

In many of today’s modern high schools, teenagers have become more and more exposed to the use of drugs and alcohol. Statistics show nearly one third of all high school students reported hazardous drinking. Nearly 6,500 teenagers try marijuana, cocaine, or heroin, each day! The effects of these illegal substances are harmful to a teenager’s body and have life-long effects. Not only are drugs and alcohol harmful to one’s body, they also hinder to one’s ability to perform well in school. Reports show increased behavioral issues and academic problems for teens that are under the influence of drugs or alcohol. As drugs have become more prevalent in school, the dropout rate for teenagers has gone up. By the time these teens are young adults they are prone to employment issues and violent behavior. They put the lives of others around them in harms way. The majority of teenage car wrecks involving a death, is alcohol related. We will write a custom essay sample on Drugs and Alcohol or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page When a young adult decides to drink alcohol or take drugs, they are making an irresponsible and destructive decision. They are preventing themselves from achieving their dreams and accomplishing great heights. In my time in high school I have seen many people throw a good education away for the mere pleasure that drugs give them. It puzzles me how a person could be so worry free and not even think about the effects that it will have on them in the future. Although some believe that drug use will just continue to increase as time continues, I believe differently. I believe that if we reach out to those who are doing drugs and alcohol, that we can impact their lives and motivate them to teach the upcoming generation about the seriousness of illegal drugs. In doing this we can better the lives of our children and the many generations that are to come.