2006-08-20 21:58:15 · 13 answers · asked by Dave D 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Chemistry
mercury
2006-08-20 22:04:13 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
its not really a solid but there is a gelatinous substance that can almost hover. It's called aerogel and was developed by Nasa.
A remarkable, nearly transparent material called aerogel is a dry gel principally made from silica. In the "Technology to Watch" section of Fortune Magazine, the use of aerogels was cited for more than 800 different product applications ranging from satellites to surfboards. As the world's lightest solid, aerogel can save significant weight on future space vehicles. One proposal places solid aerogel tires on the Mars rover - adding weight nearly equivalent to the weight of air in the same space.
The most exciting and near term ground application, however, is the contribution of aerogel on a per weight basis as the strongest, lightest and only transparent building material. The material's specifications are the stuff of science fiction. Weighing as little as 3 times that of air, a single inch thickness of this silica-based material has the internal surface area of a basketball court and can protect a human hand from the heat of a blowtorch. The picture at right shows both how strong and how transparent aerogel is. What appears to be a penny is a penny - behind the nearly-transparent aerogel sample.
There is also a machine that can make some metalls hover as is referenced by the link below.
As well as Helium-4 when oscilatted and cooled to almost absolute zero which becomes the first known "supersolid"
2006-08-20 22:04:20 · answer #2 · answered by rewqfdsavxczrewqfdsavxcz 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I'm not sure if you consider this "without any assistance" but magnetic solids can float above the ground.
2006-08-21 04:12:56 · answer #3 · answered by Sander O 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The Moon
Actually. . I got it. .
A BOAT! It floats on water, which is above the ground. . . always above ground.
2006-08-20 22:04:00 · answer #4 · answered by zambranoray 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Would have to be a solid that has exactly the same density of the air around...
2006-08-20 22:03:20 · answer #5 · answered by just "JR" 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Superman.
2006-08-20 22:49:28 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
smoke particals are the solids that can float in air.
2006-08-20 23:07:29 · answer #7 · answered by mamoon 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Cirrus Clouds, they are sheets of ice.
2006-08-20 22:06:44 · answer #8 · answered by maes_quest 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
a helium filled balloon
2006-08-20 22:06:46 · answer #9 · answered by hi 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
a hovercraft
2006-08-20 22:03:28 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋