Solids versus Gas?

Question

whats the biggest factor that makes a solid a solid and a gas a gas?..for instance...Beryllium which has 4 protons and 5 neutrons is a solid and Radon which has 86 protons & 136 neutrons is a gas...is it the tighter atomic lattice a solid has?...what part does electrons play in making different states

Answer 1

it is very difficult to understand because there isn't just one factor involved and the major reason varies from one molecule to another.

in any general "thing" there are several forces that co-exist and these forces vary depending whether the object is a pure element, a molecule of an element, or a compound. in compounds, there can be localised forces - as, for example, in organic molecules. also, many molecules interact with one another. for example, water is a liquid at room temp because of a phenomenon called hydrogen bonding.

however, if you are talking about the simple case of elements, the biggest factor that decides the state is the electronic configuration of the atom and the bonds it forms because of it

hydrogen is a gas because its config is 1s1 and the closest way of satisfying its valency is forming H2. however this demands a covalent bonding which is a weaker bonding.

beryllium is 1s2 2s2 and the closest way of getting a stable config is forming 1s2 2s2 2p6 . but to obtain so many electrons is not possible through either ionic or covalent bonding. so it forms metallic bonds and hence a lattice. now lattices, by virtue of their density, make it a solid.

in case of radon, it already has a stable config, so it can exist as a single atom without any interaction whatsoever. now if u remember, the lesser the interaction between atoms, the more it tends to be a gas

Answer 2

I think that you are looking too deeply. Lets look at a more simplified way for this question. In my experience temperature and pressure play major roles in substance makeup. For example, let's look at ammonia. At 28 below zero or lower it is a liquid. Once it hits the atmosphere, it flashes to a gas form. By adding pressure you can raise the flash, or boiling, point and have liquid ammonia at higher temperatures. I know this doesn't have a solid included in the example, but it is the best way I could explain my response.

Answer 3

The stronger the atomic bonds (bonds between atoms) the more likey it is to be solid at a given temperature. Except Hydrogen, all other 1st column elements are solids at room temperature. All inert gases are well, gases because the molecular attraction is weak.