solids,liquids,gases

[Fonzdude]

transformations of matter into other states ie water= solid - liquid gas

are there any that go from solid to gas,gas to solid? i think carbon dioxide does.

is plasma a fourth state? if so what exactly is it i cant really visulize what it could be, but i believe it happens at v.high temps.

are there any lighter than air liquids(with out turning to a gas)? ie when poured it goes up

[DavidHooper]

A decomposition from solid -> gas is called a sublimation.
Iodine and I think sulphur sublimes. I don't know of any substances that go gas -> solid.

A plasma is (from memory ) basically an ionized (ionised?!) gas and according to http://www.plasmas.org/ is a fourth state. Have a look at the link, it provides some useful information.

I'm guessing that there exist no lighter than air liquids - although my chemistry qualifications don't provide me with a reason why as of this minute... However, even if there were, they would still fall when poured out. That is, they would still be subject to gravity.

[Guv]

At extreme temperatures (Interior of stars, for example), the electrons are stripped from the nuclei. This is the state of matter called plasma. All chemical properties of am atom are due to the configuration of the electrons bound to the nucleus. In the plasma state, the nuclei have no bound electrons, so molecules like sodium chloride (NaCL, or ordinary salt) cannot be formed. This state is similar to a gas in some of its properties, but really is a fourth state of matter.

While many texts discuss the four states of matter, they are a bit obsolete. I think there are at least 6 states known now.

• A neutron star is a solid, but it is considered a different state of matter than ordinary solids.
  
• There is a Boise/Einstein state of matter which is weird and is (I think) considered to be a different state of matter. The BE state is made up or atoms cooled to almost absolute zero. At this extreme temperature, the atoms are almost motionless. Their momentum has a very precise value. Due to the uncertainty principle, the positions of the atoms must therefore be highly uncertain. This results in the whole group of atoms acting as one quantum object. If you do not understand what this is all about, you have lots of company. I am only parroting what I have read and do not really understand it.
  
• There was a recent claim (not verified) that some stars compress beyond the neutron star state. This state is some quark stew state.
  
• Perhaps the matter at the center of a black hole is considered another state,

Solid, liquid, gas depends on temperature and pressure. As far as I know every chemical compound has a liquid state between the gaseous and solid states for some combination of temperature and pressure. Compounds like dry ice (solid carbon dioxide, I think) go from solid to gas at normal atmospheric pressure and temperatures above the freezing point of water. At higher pressures and/or lower temperatures, it has a liquid state.

I do not think there are any lighter than air liquids at ordinary temperatures & pressures. Most liquids do not compress much, while air does. It might be possible to compress air, increasing its density to a value greater than that of some liquid which does not compress much. Under those conditions, the liquid would pour up. If not possible with air, there might be some gas/liquid combination which would act this way at some combination of temperature & pressure. I am only speculating. I have never heard of this phenomena before reading your post.

[SLH]

Originally posted by Fonzdude
are there any lighter than air liquids(with out turning to a gas)? ie when poured it goes up

If there are such liquids then i want some

[The House]

Iodine Sublimes

[Looseclothes]

hehe, there are no lighter-than-air liquids. Only gasses. (even though that could be a world of fun, expecially with water-balloons!)

~Looseclothes Prophet

[Fonzdude]

^^^^^

i still think there are lighter than air liquids

[SLH]

Surely the only way you could possibly get lighter-than-air liquids was if the liquid had a lower density than the air surrounding it. This would mean that the liquid would either have to have VERY light molecules, or have them more spread out than air (in which case the liquid would be air).

[DavidHooper]

Hydrogen, H2(g), has the lightest atoms of all, but it's a gas at room temperature. Cool it down to its boiling point and it would be very light.