Crystal Formation at Low Temperatures: Understanding the Physics Behind It

[sirrith]

Hello, I am new to this forum and guess what :P my first post is going to be a question, well, a few.

Why do crystals form at low temperatures? What physics are involved with this? are there any articles on this subject (ive tried looking, but havnt found anything so far)?
thanks!

 

[inha]

In a simple picture you could think in terms of energy. The constituent atoms' kinetic energies would simply overcome the binding energies at temperatures too high. I can try to find some articles for you this week. I don't know too much about crystal formation so if I find something it'd benefit me too.

 

[sir-pinski]

Hello and welcome to the forum! Crystals form at low temperatures because the molecules in a liquid or gas become more organized and stable as the temperature decreases. This allows them to come together and form a solid structure with a repeating pattern.

The physics involved in crystal formation at low temperatures include thermodynamics, which governs the energy changes that occur during the formation of crystals, and kinetics, which deals with the rate at which molecules come together to form the crystal structure.

There are many articles and studies on this subject, as it is a fundamental concept in materials science and chemistry. Some helpful keywords to use in your search could be "crystal formation," "low temperature," "thermodynamics," and "kinetics." You may also want to look into specific types of crystals, such as ice crystals, to find more specific information.

I hope this helps answer your questions and good luck with your research!