Solid solutionA solid solution, a term popularly used for metals, is a homogeneous mixture of two different kinds of atoms in solid state and having a single crystal structure. Many examples can be found in metallurgy, geology, and solid-state chemistry. The word "solution" is used to describe the intimate mixing of components at the atomic level and distinguishes these homogeneous materials from physical mixtures of components. Two terms are mainly associated with solid solutions – solvents and solutes, depending on the relative abundance of the atomic species.
Quantum spin liquidIn condensed matter physics, a quantum spin liquid is a phase of matter that can be formed by interacting quantum spins in certain magnetic materials. Quantum spin liquids (QSL) are generally characterized by their long-range quantum entanglement, fractionalized excitations, and absence of ordinary magnetic order. The quantum spin liquid state was first proposed by physicist Phil Anderson in 1973 as the ground state for a system of spins on a triangular lattice that interact antiferromagnetically with their nearest neighbors, i.
SolidSolid is one of the four fundamental states of matter (the others being liquid, gas, and plasma). The molecules in a solid are closely packed together and contain the least amount of kinetic energy. A solid is characterized by structural rigidity (as in rigid bodies) and resistance to a force applied to the surface. Unlike a liquid, a solid object does not flow to take on the shape of its container, nor does it expand to fill the entire available volume like a gas.
Liquid nitrogenLiquid nitrogen—LN2—is nitrogen in a liquid state at low temperature. Liquid nitrogen has a boiling point of about . It is produced industrially by fractional distillation of liquid air. It is a colorless, mobile liquid whose viscosity is about one tenth that of acetone. Liquid nitrogen is widely used as a coolant. The diatomic character of the N2 molecule is retained after liquefaction. The weak van der Waals interaction between the N2 molecules results in little interatomic attraction.
Meniscus (liquid)In physics (particularly fluid statics), the meniscus (plural: menisci, ) is the curve in the upper surface of a liquid close to the surface of the container or another object, produced by surface tension. A concave meniscus occurs when the attraction between the particles of the liquid and the container (adhesion) is more than half the attraction of the particles of the liquid to each other (cohesion), causing the liquid to climb the walls of the container (see surface tension#Causes). This occurs between water and glass.
Viscous liquidIn condensed matter physics and physical chemistry, the terms viscous liquid, supercooled liquid, and glass forming liquid are often used interchangeably to designate liquids that are at the same time highly viscous (see Viscosity of amorphous materials), can be or are supercooled, and able to form a glass. The mechanical properties of glass-forming liquids depend primarily on the viscosity. Therefore, the following working points are defined in terms of viscosity.
Allotropes of ironAt atmospheric pressure, three allotropic forms of iron exist, depending on temperature: alpha iron (α-Fe, ferrite), gamma iron (γ-Fe, austenite), and delta iron (δ-Fe). At very high pressure, a fourth form exists, epsilon iron (ε-Fe, hexaferrum). Some controversial experimental evidence suggests the existence of a fifth high-pressure form that is stable at very high pressures and temperatures. The phases of iron at atmospheric pressure are important because of the differences in solubility of carbon, forming different types of steel.
Drop (liquid)A drop or droplet is a small column of liquid, bounded completely or almost completely by free surfaces. A drop may form when liquid accumulates at the lower end of a tube or other surface boundary, producing a hanging drop called a pendant drop. Drops may also be formed by the condensation of a vapor or by atomization of a larger mass of solid. Water vapor will condense into droplets depending on the temperature. The temperature at which droplets form is called the dew point. Liquid forms drops because it exhibits surface tension.
Iron(III) chlorideIron(III) chloride describes the inorganic compounds with the formula (H2O)x. Also called ferric chloride, these compounds are available both in anhydrous and hydrated forms which are both hygroscopic. They are common sources of iron in its +3 oxidation state. The anhydrous derivative is a Lewis acid, while the hydrate is a mild oxidizing agent. It is used as a water cleaner and as an etchant for metals. All forms of ferric chloride are paramagnetic, owing to the presence of five unpaired electrons residing in 3d orbitals.
SolubilityIn chemistry, solubility is the ability of a substance, the solute, to form a solution with another substance, the solvent. Insolubility is the opposite property, the inability of the solute to form such a solution. The extent of the solubility of a substance in a specific solvent is generally measured as the concentration of the solute in a saturated solution, one in which no more solute can be dissolved. At this point, the two substances are said to be at the solubility equilibrium.
