Does a solid weigh more or less than an equal amount of liquid?

Answer 1

If you're talking about "any solid" vs "any liquid", then no, you cannot say that is true as a general rule. There will be some solids that are denser and some liquids that are denser. A simple test in each case is to place the solid on top of the liquid. If it sinks, the solid is denser. If it floats, the liquid is denser.

However, if you are comparing the solid and liquid forms of the same substance, it can be said, as a general rule, that the solid is generally more dense. The individual molecules have less energy and are less active as temperature decreases. Therefore, they take up less space (volume decreases). Density, by definition, is mass divided by volume. Since volume is smaller, density increases.

There are exceptions to this general rule, however, and the most well-known exception is water. Solid water (ice) is lessdense than liquid water. This is because of the structure of the water molecule. It is a little more negative on the oxygen end, and a little more positive on the end with the two hydrogen atoms. These sets up a situation wherein the molecules can form loose electrostatic bonds between each other. In a liquid state, these so-called hydrogen bonds are not as controlling as they are when the molecules change state and become solid. As the molecules lose energy and begin to lock together forming the solid, those hydrogen bonds force the molecules apart slightly as they seek some kind of electrostatic equilibrium. The description that I just gave is very much an oversimplification. But it's nevertheless appropriate.

Answer 2

If by equal amount you mean equal mass, and if you plan to measure both at the same location (earth, same altitude, same latitude), then both the liquid and the solid phase of the substance will "weigh" exactly the same amount.

Note: In common speech we inchange weigh and mass, but scientifically mass is the amount of matter and weight is the force it exerts, (usually with respect to gravity). So although Neil Armstrong had about the same mass on Earth and on the Moon, he weighed less on the moon since it has less gravity.

Answer 3

Sometimes but not always. For example gold is about 19 times more dense than water. If you had equal amounts of gold and water in volume, the gold would weigh much more. But water if more dense than ice. If you had equal amounts of water and ice, water would weigh more.

Answer 4

The densities of liquids and solids is dependent on the compound.

The densities of a liquid or a solid will generally change with temperature. So, for example, solid steel expands when it is heated, thus the hotter it is, the lower the density.
Liquid steel is a lower density than solid steel, and the solids will sink if put in a batch of molten metal.

Water and ice is a little different with solid ice being a lower density than liquid water, and thus it floats.

Keep in mind the conservation of matter.
So, if I take an ice cube and melt it (in a closed container), then the density of the water will increase. However, the weight of the water will be exactly the same as the ice cube that it came from.

This conservation of matter will be constant with all forms of matter even with density changes from thermal expansion, or melting/freezing.

Answer 5

No, the fact that something is liquid or solid has to do with the states of matter. Mass has more to do with the amount of force required to accelerate an object.

Answer 6

Air definitively. Any solid weights about half as much in water as it weights in air. That is why you can easily lift a heavy weight under water but it is hard to do it in the air.

Answer 7

Solid is heavier and liquid is light