Phases of Matter V - Gases 1
Written by Translator on June 25, 2008 – 7:29 pm -Crossposted at Dailykos.com
Gases, like liquids are fluids, in that they have no definite shape, but take that shape of their container, be it a balloon, a pressure cylinder, or a gravity envelope. Unlike liquids, gases are not “condensed” in that their molecules have a much greater spacing than that of liquids or solids.
This spacing is on the order of around 1000 times more as a general rule of thumb. This makes it possible to compress gases, using energy to push the molecules closer together. The ramifications of this are huge, from air conditioning to energy transport to solar power storage.
Tags: Boyle's Law, Charles's Law, Combined Gas Law, Gases, Gasses, Gay-Lussac's Law, Ideal Gas Law, Phases of matter, Science, Teaching
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