What is an amorphous solid? Under what conditions is such a solid likely to form?
An amorphous solid is a solid in which there is no long-range order of the positions of the atoms. (Solids in which there is long-range atomic order are called crystalline solids or morphous). Most classes of solid materials can be found or prepared in an amorphous form. For instance, common window glass is an amorphous ceramic, many polymers (such as polystyrene) are amorphous, and even foods such as cotton candy are amorphous solids. Amorphous materials are often prepared by rapidly cooling molten material. The cooling reduces the mobility of the material’s molecules before they can pack into a more thermodynamically favorable crystalline state. Amorphous materials can also be produced by additives which interfere with the ability of the primary constituent to crystallize. For example addition of soda to silicon dioxide results in window glass and the addition of glycols to water results in a vitrified solid. Some materials, such as metals, are difficult to prepare in an amorphous st
