Article
Article
Amorphous solid
Article By:
Bagley, Brian G. Bell Laboratories, Murray Hill, New Jersey.
Last reviewed:October 2019
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1036/1097-8542.029300
A rigid material whose structure lacks crystalline periodicity; that is, the pattern of its constituent atoms or molecules does not repeat periodically in three dimensions. In the present terminology amorphous and noncrystalline are synonymous. A solid is distinguished from its other amorphous counterparts (liquids and gases) by its viscosity: a material is considered solid (rigid) if its shear viscosity exceeds 1014.6 poise (1013.6 pascal ยท second). See also: Crystal; Solid-state physics; Viscosity
The content above is only an excerpt.
About AccessScience
AccessScience provides the most accurate and trustworthy scientific information available.
Recognized as an award-winning gateway to scientific knowledge, AccessScience is an amazing online resource that contains high-quality reference material written specifically for students. Contributors include more than 10,000 highly qualified scientists and 46 Nobel Prize winners.
MORE THAN 8700 articles covering all major scientific disciplines and encompassing the McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science & Technology and McGraw-Hill Yearbook of Science & Technology
115,000-PLUS definitions from the McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms
3000 biographies of notable scientific figures
MORE THAN 19,000 downloadable images and animations illustrating key topics
ENGAGING VIDEOS highlighting the life and work of award-winning scientists
SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER STUDY and additional readings to guide students to deeper understanding and research
LINKS TO CITABLE LITERATURE help students expand their knowledge using primary sources of information
