amorphous solid: Quick Facts

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Facts

Also Known As	noncrystalline material • amorphous substance • amorphous material • noncrystalline solid

Photos and Videos

A side-by-side diagram compares atomic motion in a liquid and a solid; the liquid shows atoms with tangled, overlapping paths, while the solid shows atoms vibrating in fixed, orderly positions.

Figure 2: The atomic arrangements in (A) a crystalline solid, (B) an amorphous solid, and (C) a gas.

Figure 3: The two general cooling paths by which a group of atoms can condense. Route 1 is the path to the crystalline state; route 2 is the rapid-quench path to the amorphous solid state.

Figure 7: Two basic models for the atomic-scale structure of amorphous solids.

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Topics

plastic radial distribution function random-coil model glass transition vitreous state random close-packing model continuous random-network model glass solid solution glass ceramics crystal quasicrystal elasticity hole corrosion adsorption permeability surface grain

Key People

Nevill F. Mott

Sir Nevill F. Mott

British physicist

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John H. Van Vleck

American physicist and mathematician

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Bertram Eugene Warren

American crystallographer