solid-state physics
The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition | Date: 2008
solid-state physics study of the properties of bulk matter rather than those of the individual particles that compose it. Solid-state physics is concerned with the properties exhibited by atoms and molecules because of their association and regular, periodic arrangement in crystals . The descriptive side of the study of solids is crystallography. From a practical point of view, searches are made for new characteristics and behavior of various materials. The most spectacular discovery resulting from these searches has been the transistor . From a theoretical point of view, attempts are made to predict and explain the nature of aggregates of atoms in terms of the basic laws of the quantum theory and the well-understood properties of individual atoms. An important concern of solid-state physics is the mechanical and thermal behavior of solids; specific areas of study include the allowed vibration modes of crystals (see phonon ), the transmission of vibrational energy (thermal conductivity), the amount of energy that must be absorbed to produce a given change in temperature ( specific heat ), and phase transitions such as the melting points of crystals. Although the crystalline, mechanical, thermal, and optical properties of solids are of great interest, it is the electrical properties that most clearly demarcate the various types of materials and which exhibit the greatest diversity of behavior. The single most important electrical characteristic of a solid is its electrical conductivity (the ease with which electric currents flow through it). See conduction . Metals are highly conductive solids that offer little resistance to electric currents. Most solid nonmetals, on the other hand, are insulators (solids whose conductivity is nearly zero); they offer virtually infinite resistance to electric currents. A third class of solids possesses electrical conductivity that is neither very high nor very low; these solids are called semiconductors . A principal triumph of quantum mechanics in solid-state physics is the explanation of these extreme variations of electrical conductivity in terms of the atomic structure of the three types of solids.
Author not available, SOLID-STATE PHYSICS.,
The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition 2008
The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. Copyright 2008 Columbia University Press
Related newspaper, magazine, and journal articles from HighBeam Research
|
Electrical conductivity in aluminum: possible alternative to thermal analysis.
Modern Casting; 1/1/1990; Malazimoglu, M.H. Gruzleski, J.E.; 1419 words
; Electrical Conductivity in Aluminum: Possible Alternative to Thermal Analysis In recent years, thermal analysis has become popular as a method to assess the grain size and degree of eutectic modification in aluminum-silicon casting alloys. In applications that do not require information about grain
Read more
|
|
Electrical conductivity in soils may be a precision farming tool.(Brief Article)
Implement & Tractor; 1/1/1999; Shepherd, Mary; 373 words
; ... fields to generate electrical conductivity maps of Missouri's claypan soils. I think soil ... temperature, and topsoil depth. However, maps made at different times of the year show ... data that can be correlated with yield maps and other data. Also, various physical ...
Read more
|
|
Effect of shear on the electrical conductivity of suspensions of graphite in an unsaturated polyester resin.
Polymer Engineering and Science; 11/1/2005; Greenberg, Ely R. May, Michael N. Wise, Jonathan Gadala-Maria, Francis; 3436 words
; INTRODUCTION Most polymers are poor conductors of electricity. One way of making them electrically conductive is to add conductive particles to the polymer matrix in large enough concentrations that the contact between the particles helps conduct electricity through the mixture. When enough
Read more
|
|
Electrical conductivity and friction force estimation in compliant electrical connectors
Tribology Transactions; 10/1/2000; Kogut, Lior; Etsion, Izhak; 2362 words
; The electrical conductivity and friction force of a compliant curved beam loaded by a rigid flat surface which simulate electrical connectors in high-tech applications is analyzed. Both the elastic deformation of the curved beam and elastic-plastic deformation of the asperities are considered. The
Read more
|
|
|
The conducting behavior and stability of conducting polymer composites.
Polymer Engineering and Science; 4/1/1995; Chen, X.B. Devaux, J. Issi, J-P. Billaud, D.; 2329 words
; INTRODUCTION The electrical properties of conducting particle-fined composite systems have been of both theoretical and experimental interest for a long time. One of the main areas of technological interest concerns the enhancement of the electrical conductivity of polymers resulting from the
Read more
|
|
Study on Different Emulsifiers to Retain Fatty Fraction During Extrusion of Fatty Flours
Cereal Chemistry; 9/1/2005; De Pilli, Teresa; Giuliani, Roma; Carbone, Barbara F; Derossi, Antonio; Severini, Carla; 3538 words
; ABSTRACT Doughs made from wheat and almond flours, water, and five types of emulsifiers commonly used in confectionary and bakery products (soy lecithin, sucrose esters, mono-glycerides, mono- and di-glycerides of fatty acids, and diacetyl tartaric acid esters of monoglycerides [DATEM]) were
Read more
|
|
Investigation of dryland salinity using the electrical image method.
Australian Journal of Soil Research; 7/1/1999; Acworth, R. I.; 4708 words
; Abstract Electrical imaging is a 2-dimensional investigation method that can be used to rapidly determine subsurface conductivity variation. In dryland salinity studies, electrical imaging is used to define the vertical extent of high electrical conductivity zones first identified using
Read more
|
|
Investigate the effects of sodium chloride, macronutrients on tomato quality.
Emerging Food R&D Report; 1/1/2000; 355 words
; Canadian scientists (Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Pacific Agri-Food Research Center, PO Box 1000, 6947 #7 Highway, Agassiz, BC V0M 1A0, Canada) examined the influence of electrical conductivity and macronutrient strength on the quality and flavor volatiles of tomatoes. They found that
Read more
|
|
Effect of Processing and Heat Treatment on Behavior of Cu-Cr-Zr Alloys to Railway Contact Wire
Metallurgical and Materials Transactions; 11/1/2006; Liu, Qiang; Zhang, Xiang; Ge, Yan; Wang, Jing; Cui, Jian-Zhong; 2710 words
; A new series of Cu-Cr-Zr alloys to be used as railway contact wire, Cu-0.26 wt pct Cr-0.15 wt pct Zr, Cu-0.13 wt pct Cr-0.41 wt pct Zr, and Cu-0.34 wt pct Cr-0.41 wt pct Zr, were studied. The results indicated that processing and aging treatment had an effect on the microstructure, tensile
Read more
|
|
|
Chemically oxidized polypyrrole: influence of the experimental conditions on its electrical conductivity and morphology.
Polymer Engineering and Science; 4/1/1995; Chen, X. Devaux, J. Issi, J-P. Billaud, D.; 1962 words
; INTRODUCTION Electrically conductive organic polymers have been studied intensively in the last few years (1, 2). Much work in this area has been focused on polyacetylene and polypyrrole. This latter material can retain high conductivity even when it is exposed to ambient conditions for relatively
Read more
|
Related entries from encyclopedias, dictionaries, and thesauruses
|
solid-state physics
Britannica Concise Encyclopedia
Branch of physics concerned with the physical properties of solid materials. It deals with the properties of crystal-latti ... especially important in the study of the conductance of heat and electricity through solid materials. solid-state physics solid-state physics ...
Read more
|
|
Solid-State Devices
Chemistry: Foundations and Applications
... more. The Materials of Solid-State Devices Solid-state devices consist of intricate ... principal materials of solid-state devices, controlling ... and fabrication of solid-state devices are generally the subject of physics and engineering. The ... negative voltage ...
Read more
|
|
|
physics
Britannica Concise Encyclopedia
... philosophy (from the Greek physikos ), physics is concerned with all aspects ... nuclear force fields. The goal of physics is to formulate comprehensive ... aerodynamics ; astrophysics ; atomic physics ; biophysics ; mechanics ; nuclear physics ; particle physics ; quantum mechanics ; ...
Read more
|
|
|
Semiconductors
Chemistry: Foundations and Applications
... achievements to evolve from the study of solid-state chemistry and physics. Aside from their well-known applications ... relatively advanced mathematics and physics. When a large number of atoms combine ... Semiconductors are used extensively in solid-state electronic devices and ...
Read more
|
|
Paul Ching-Wu Chu
Encyclopedia of World Biography
... Chinese-American experimentalist in solid-state physics, Paul Ching-Wu Chu's (born 1941) leadership ... California at San Diego in order to study solid-state physics in the laboratory of Bern T. Matthias ... High Pressure and Low Temperature Physics. This work, plus more than 50 ...
Read more
|