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vitreous state

materials science
Also known as: glassy state

Quick Summary

The vitreous state refers to materials that are amorphous solids, meaning their atoms and molecules are not arranged in a regular lattice structure. These materials are often referred to as glasses. Unlike crystalline solids, which have long-range order, amorphous solids lack this repeating pattern. However, they do exhibit short-range order due to chemical bonding between atoms.123

Materials in the vitreous state, such as glass, plastic, and gel, retain their shape and resist shear stress, distinguishing them from liquids which flow and do not hold a definite shape. The transition to a solid, glassy state often occurs when a liquid is cooled rapidly, bypassing a distinct freezing point and solidifying at a glass transition temperature. This unique atomic arrangement gives vitreous materials properties like isotropicity, where characteristics such as tensile strength are uniform in all directions.124

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