2.2States of Matter

Liquids and solids — EST 2 Chemistry Revision Notes & Topical Questions

5 min read 7 parts Lesson 2 of 3 1 quiz

📚 EST 2 Chemistry Hub / Topical Revision

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Lesson summary

Liquids and solids EST Chemistry notes: Describe properties of liquids.Viscosity usually decreases as temperature rises.Soap is a surfactant that breaks water's surface tension.Amorphous solids soften over a range of temperatures rather than melting sharply.Diamond and graphite a…

Liquids and solids EST Chemistry: what to do next
Capillary action
Crystalline solid
Identify / Describe (FRQ)
Explain / Justify (FRQ)
MCQ technique

Section 1 of 7Liquids and solids

Honey is more viscous than water because of strong IMFs.

Insects can walk on water because of surface tension.

Unit cells repeat to build a crystal lattice.

Network solids do not conduct (except graphite).

Metals conduct because of delocalised electrons.

Section 2 of 7Process & sequence

Particles in liquids are close but can move past each other.

Stronger IMFs raise viscosity and surface tension.

Cohesion attracts like particles; adhesion attracts different particles.

When adhesion beats cohesion, liquid climbs a narrow tube.

In solids particles are fixed in place, either ordered (crystalline) or random (amorphous).

From liquid to solidwrite these steps in this order; each step is a marking point.

Particles close together

IMFs control flow

Cool: particles slow

Fixed positions

Crystalline or amorphous

Section 3 of 7Keep going

Liquids and solids EST Chemistry: what to do next

These Liquids and solids EST Chemistry notes covered the key ideas, worked examples and exam technique for this topic. Check your Liquids and solids EST Chemistry understanding with the practice questions below, then reread any Liquids and solids EST Chemistry point you were unsure about before moving on.

Practice: Liquids and solids EST Chemistry practice questions

Previous lesson: 2.1 Gases

Next lesson: 2.3 Solutions

Course: EST 2 Chemistry — all units

Official syllabus: OpenStax free science textbooks

Liquids and solids EST Chemistry revision notes

Section 4 of 7Compare

Types of crystalline solids
Type	Particles	Forces	Properties	Example
Atomic	Atoms	Dispersion	Very low melting	Noble gases
Molecular	Molecules	IMFs	Low melting, soft	Ice, sugar
Covalent network	Atoms	Covalent bonds	Very hard, high melting	Diamond, quartz
Ionic	Ions	Ionic bonds	Hard, brittle, high melting	NaCl
Metallic	Cations in electron sea	Metallic bonds	Malleable, conductive	Copper

Section 5 of 7Key terms

Section 6 of 7Command terms

Command terms

Identify / Describe (FRQ)

A short, specific statement; describing requires relevant characteristics, not a single word.

Explain / Justify (FRQ)

Give the cause-and-effect reasoning or evidence; a restated fact does not score.

Calculate

Show setup, substitution and the answer with units.

Predict

State the expected outcome; add a reason only if asked to justify.

MCQ technique

Read every option; eliminate distractors that are true statements but do not answer the question; watch for NOT/EXCEPT.

Section 7 of 7Exam technique

Keywords the mark scheme looks for in this lesson

Viscosity · Surface tension · Surfactant · Capillary action · Crystalline solid · Unit cell · Amorphous solid

Learn each definition in the Key words tab exactly; a missing keyword in a definition usually loses the mark.

How to get full marks (examiner guidance)

Answer exactly what is asked; extra correct material does not earn credit, and contradictory statements can cancel credit (AP FRQ).

Use precise vocabulary (e.g. “active site”, “concentration gradient”, “allele”), never “it/stuff/things”.

Show units and working in calculations.

In MCQs, predict the answer before reading the options, then eliminate.

Last updated: 18 October 2026