Can liquids be compressed to a smaller volume?

Answer 1

Yes, you can compress any form of matter, it's just not as easy to compress certain forms.

The ability for something to be compressed is called "Bulk Elastic Properties". (For more information, visit http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/permot3.html) Water, for example, requires a great deal of pressure to accomplish very little compression, most of the time unnoticeable. For that reason, liquids and solids are sometimes referred to as being incompressible. However in nature, water at the bottom of the ocean is compressed by the weight of the water above it and is more dense than the water at the surface.

In a solid you cant compress anything because the forces of attraction are so powerful that there is no space left to compress,

In a liquid the forces of attraction are quite strong so there is limited amount of space to be compressed.

Answer 2

The answer is yes, You can compress water, or almost any material. However, it requires a great deal of pressure to accomplish a little compression. For that reason, liquids and solids are sometimes referred to as being incompressible.

To understand what happens, remember that all matter is composed of a collection of atoms. Even though matter seems to be very solid, in actuality, the atoms are relative far apart, and matter is mostly empty space. However, due to the forces between the molecules, they strongly resist being pressed closer together, but they can be. You probably have experienced compressing something as hard as steel. Have you ever bounced a steel ball bearing off a sidewalk? When you do that, the 'bounce' is due to compressing the steel ball, just a tiny little spot that comes into contact with the sidewalk. It compresses and then springs back, causing the bounce.

The water at the bottom of the ocean is compressed by the weight of the water above it all the way to the surface, and is more dense than the water at the surface.

A consequence of compressing a fluid is that the viscosity, that is the resistance of the fluid to flow, also increases as the density increases. This is because the atoms are forced closer together, and thus cannot slip by each other as easily as they can when the fluid is at atmospheric pressure.

Answer 3

YES you can. however you cannot compress a liquid to make it a solid

Answer 4

Yes but depending on the liquid it may require a very high pressure to cause a volume change.

Answer 5

In general, liquids are considered to be incompressible because their molecules are already tightly packed. However, certain liquids like water can be compressed slightly under extreme pressure.