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THE FIVE AVATARS OF MATTER

 

    We usually talk about the three phases of matter, solid, liquid and gas.  But there are two more phases with which we are not very much familiar.

     Let us take water for example.  Water is made up of H2o molecules.  The hydrogen atoms are slightly positive.  The oxygen atom is more negative.  There is attraction between negative oxygen of one molecule and positive hydrogen of another molecule. It is called hydrogen bonding.  Hence there is adhesive force between molecules.  That is why they cling together as drops, as fluid or as ice.

     When we supply heat energy to the water, its temperature increases.  And the molecules moves randomly and vigorously due to thermal energy.

     When we cool down the water, the motions slow down.  The molecules stick together more closely and become ice, that is solid.  Hence matters move into solid phase, if the temperature is lowered.

     If the temperature is increased, the molecules of ice, set into vibrations or random motions in spite of bonding.  And the matter reaches liquid phase of the molecules. If they get more energy, they move vigorously, rapidly and come apart.  Next they enter into gas or vapor phase.

     Suppose, the temperature is increased to very high level, the negative electrons are stripped out of the atoms.  The atoms becomes positive ions.  We get a cloud of positive and negative charges(ions).  This is the fourth state of matter called plasma.  The sun has very high temperature.  Hence its atmosphere is mostly plasma.  Modern CFL lamps contains plasma.  And the plasma TV has many tiny CFL on the screen.

     At absolute zero (-273 degree), all atoms and molecules come to a stop because of zero thermal energy.  We are not able to achieve absolute zero. But we have reached very, very close to absolute zero.  When the Rubediyam atoms are cooled and brought very near the absolute zero, they just become one atom or one molecule or one unit.  This state is called Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC).  This is the fifth phase of matter.  Hence all the matters reach 'oneness' or become single entity at the real zero temperature.

     In everyday life, we are not able to see BEC except LASER.  But the day is not far away, when we will make BEC at our will.

PHILOSOPHY
     We understand, one can become many and many can become one.  Heat is the vehicle of transformations between the phases of matter.
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