Recent content by curiousoldguy

Thanks. :)

So I'm reading that ice (solid) always has a liquid surface if it's surrounded by a gas. Does this mean every solid (e.g., my dining room table) also has a liquid surface because it's surrounded by gas? It doesn't seem to have a liquid surface. :-/ If something sublimes it skips this phase so I...

Thanks. I got the feeling they were general terms. :)

What is an (the?) empirically demonstrable method used for determining a substance's state of matter? If a new substance was discovered and scientist A said it's solid and scientist B said it's a liquid, how would it be demonstrably proven to be one or the other? The books I have define states...