Difference Between Solid, Liquid And Gas

Everything around us occupies some space and has mass as well. These things around us are known as matter. There are three basic states of matter that include, Solid, Liquid, and Gas. These three states of matter have various differences and learning the differences between solid, liquid, and gas are very important for the understanding of matter.

In this article, we will learn about the three states of matter, the differences between Solids, Liquids, and Gaseous, and others in detail.

Definition of Solid

Solids are forms of matter that have a hard structure and a definite shape. The most common examples of solids we see in our surroundings are salt, sugar, ice, wood, brick, gold, etc. 

Characteristics of Solids

Solids have the following characteristics that are mentioned below:

• They have a definite shape.
• They have a definite volume.
• They have higher energy as compared to liquids and gases.
• They cannot compress easily.
• They have less intermolecular space than molecules.
• They have high intermolecular forces.
• They have a high density.

Definition of Liquid

A liquid is a form of matter that can flow easily and has a definite volume. The most common examples of liquids we see in our surroundings are water, milk, coffee, blood, urine, gasoline, etc. 

Characteristics of Liquids

Liquids have the following characteristics that are mentioned below:

• They have a definite shape.
• They have a definite volume.
• They have an intermediate space between the molecules.
• Shape of liquid is determined by the container into which a liquid is poured.
• They have a definite volume.
• They have fluidity.
• They can’t be compressed.
• They have less intermolecular force than solids and more than gases.

Definition of Gas

Gas is a form of matter with no definite shape or volume. The most common examples of gases we see in our surroundings are air, hydrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide, nitrogen, natural gases, etc.

Characteristics of Gases

Gases have the following characteristics that are mentioned below:

• Gases don’t have any definite shape; they take the form of the objects in which they occupy space.
• They can be easily compressed.
• They have low volume and density as compared to solids and liquids.
• They have a high diffusion rate.
• The gaseous molecules have more intermolecular space than molecules.
• They have low intermolecular forces.
• They have less energy as compared to solids and gases.

Solid, Liquid, and Gas Differences

The basic difference between solids, liquids, and gases can be easily understood in the table below,

Basis of Comparison	Solid	Liquid	Gas
Definition	It is a form of matter which has a hard structure and definite shape.	It is a form of matter which can flow easily and has a definite volume.	It is a form of matter with no definite shape or volume.
Shape	Have a definite shape.	The shape of liquid can be determined by the shape of the container in which they are poured.	They take the shape of the object in which they occupy space.
Volume	Solids have a definite volume.	Liquid also has a definite volume.	Gas doesn’t have any definite volume.
Energy between Bonds	The energy between the bond is the highest	The energy between the bond is greater than gas but less than solid.	The energy between the bond is the lowest
Compressibility	Solids are incompressible.	Liquids are slightly compressible.	Gases are highly incompressible.
Fluidity	They don’t have any fluidity.	They have fluidity and liquids can flow easily.	They have very high fluidity and they can easily flow.
Diffusion	Solids have very low diffusion.	Liquids have a moderate rate of diffusion.	They have a very high rate of diffusion.
Space Between Molecules Less	Less than liquids and gases.	Intermediate as compared to solids and gases.	More than solids and liquids.
Density	Solids High Density	Liquids have moderate density.	Gaseous have very low density.
Kinetic Energy	Solids have very low kinetic energy	Liquid has very moderate kinetic energy	Gaseous have very high kinetic energy.
Intermolecular Force	Solid have very stronger intermolecular forces.	Liquids have less strong intermolecular force.	Gaseous have weak intermolecular forces.
Examples	Examples of Solid substances are Sugar, Salt, etc.	Examples of Solid substances are Water, milk, etc.	Examples of Solid substances are Oxygen, Carbon dioxide, etc.

Read More,

• Diffusion in Solids, Liquids, and Gases
• Change of State of Matter
• Liquefaction of Gases

FAQs on Solid Liquid and Gas

Q1: What are the States of the Matter?

Answer:

Various states of the matter are,

• Solid
• Liquid
• Gas
• Plasma
• Bose-Einstien Condensate.

Q2: Which State of Matter has a Fixed Volume?

Answer:

The state of matter with fixed volume is

• Solid
• Liquid

Q3: Which State of Matter has a Fixed Shape?

Answer:

The state of matter with a fixed shape is Solid

Q4: Which State of Matter can flow?

Answer:

The state of matter that can flow is,

• Liquid
• Gas

Q5: What is the Basic Three State of Matter?

Answer:

The three basic states of the matter are,

• Solid
• Liquid
• Gas