TYPES AND PROPERTIES OF SOLIDS:

WHAT IS SOLID AND ITS PROPERTIES??

Solid is another state of matter that plays a very important role in our daily life. Each particle in a solid
remains in a fixed location relative to the surrounding particles. Solids have very strong forces of
attraction and, therefore, their particles are not free to move from one another. However, the particles
vibrate in place. Particles of solids are packed closely together and are arranged in an organized pattern.
Solids have definite shape and volume. They also have high densities and they are not compressible to
any extent. Some solids melt when heated while some others sublime. Lastly, some solids while heated
break away from their neighbor immediately and escape into the gas phase.

THE TWO MAIN CATEGORIES OF SOLIDS:

*CRYSTALLINE SOLIDS- solids whose particles are arranged in regular geometric patterns. The
representative particles exist in a highly ordered and repetitive pattern. This orderly arrangement
produces a beautiful regularly shaped crystal. The definite patterns that repeat themselves in solid
crystals are called unit cell. A unit cell is the small portion of the entire structure.

*Amorphous solids (“super cooled liquids”) - solids that have fixed shape but their particles are not
arranged in a regular geometric pattern.

4 TYPES OF CRYSTALLINE SOLIDS

The physical properties of solids depend on the kind of particles that made up the solid. They are also
dependent on the strength of the attractive forces between the particles. Solids are classified based on
the kind or nature of the particles that make them up. Lastly, for the melting and boiling points, take
note that the energy required is that needed to break the intermolecular forces of attraction and not
the intramolecular forces.

 IONIC SOLIDS- made up of positive and negative ions and held together by electrostatic
attractions. The crystal arrangement in ionic solid maximizes attractions and simultaneously
minimizes repulsion making the compound possess a high degree stability. These solids are
hard, they are brittle, have high melting points, and have poor electrical and thermal
conductivity.
 COVALENT SOLIDS- made up of atoms and are joined by covalent bonds. Some solids form
covalent bonds resulting in the formation of molecules. In some solids, molecules are not
formed rather, a covalent network is formed extending through the solid crystal. These solids
are very hard, have very high melting points, and often have poor thermal and electrical
conductivity.
 MOLECULAR SOLIDS- made up of particles that can either be atoms or molecules held together by
intermolecular forces like dispersion forces, dipole-dipole forces, and hydrogen bonds. Solids
with dispersion forces that are also large are solids at room temperature. These type of solids
 are soft, have low to moderately high melting points and have poor electrical and thermal
conductivity.
 METALLIC SOLIDS- made up of metal atoms that are held or joined together by metallic bonds.
Metallic bonds are characterized by the presence of mobile electrons around the positive metal
ion. The force that binds the atom together is the force of attraction between the mobile
valence electrons and the fixed positive metal ion. These solids are good electrical conductors,
good thermal conductors, and are malleable and ductile.