States Of Matter

I don't think's a meaningful question anymore. Sure, simple materials (e.g. water) can exist as a solid, liquid, or gas. But more complicated materials don't fall into any of those clean categories- what's toothpaste, for example? (It's a viscoelastic fluid/Bingham fluid)

 

There are two main states of matter, and then some derived ones:
- does matter
- doesn't matter

(and then, matters a bit, a lot)...

:rofl:

 

Matters generally divided into four categories; solid, liquid, gas, and plasma. That fourth category, plasma, is debated by some who claim that it is merely a special condition of the gaseous state.

The existence of neutron stars and the proposed existence of Quark stars, along with the discovery of BEC's (Bose-Einstein Condensates) suggest that there are many more states of matter of which we are not aware, simply because they do not concur in our everyday experience.

 

How does Planck matter grab ya? The false vacuum? Dark energy? Strings and branes?

 

I guess there are two states; one where it is matter and one where it is energy.

k

 

Re: States Of Matter....

I will just list how much I know off the top of my head. There are solids, liquids, gases, plasma, Bose-Einstien Condensates, Fermionic Condensates, superfluids, beam, thought wave (is this real? I've never found proof), quark-gluon plasma, supersolids, string-net liquids, superglass, and dark matter. I'm not positive about these, so if I made any mistakes, please correct me.

 

Re: States Of Matter....

That's so awesome. When you are completed with this arduous task please forward a copy of it to me. I want to help, too. What's your email? Should I just post it up on megaupload or rapidshare or something?