Concept explainers
Solid and liquids are incompressible in nature. Give your inference about the solid’s and liquid’s microscopic nature of incompressibility.
Explanation of Solution
The incompressibility in solids and liquids is due to the electrostatic repulsion of the atoms (and molecules) inside them. Because of this repulsion, which is very strong over a short range, the atoms resist being brought close to each other and bounce back to their original positions. The incompressibility of solids is generally higher than liquids because the atoms are already closely arranged in lattices and any further proximity is resisted. In liquids, the arrangement is not as tight as it is in solids, but the atoms are still much closer as compared to gases. These forces of repulsion can be overcome only when a large compressive force is applied.
Conclusion:
It is true that matter consists of atoms which can be inferred using solid and liquid’s microscopic nature.
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