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Yes, generally by a combination of pressure and temperature. Wax for example is a solid, it can be softened by increasing the temperature without passing to liquid state and modelled with hands.

If we look to the problem with a greater detail, we have to distinguish amorphous and crystal solids. There is not a net transition between amorphous solids like wax or many plastics and liquids, we can call amorphous solids super viscous liquids. In this case it is not surprising that it is not so difficult to change their shape.

Crystal solids are stabilized, also in shape, by a very ordered structure and it is not easy to change their shape without subtracting matter to the body (that is either cutting or extruding part of it) since it requires to change at least locally the ordered crystal structure. That can nevertheless done if sufficiently concentrated energy is applied (for example by a point or a blade). As a matter of fact this introduces in the crystal local imperfections that, even if they store energy so to be theoretically unstable, in reality they remain stable due to the the resistance of the crystal structure to move even if it is not in a minimum energy state.

These are in any case small shape changes affecting only locally the body shape. In order to completely change the form of the crystal (for example from a 1m x 1m x 1m cube to a 0.5 m x 0.5 m x 4 m polyhedron) the only viable way is to fuse it, shape it and then make it solid again.

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12y ago

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