Summary

Liquids are actually quite rare in nature, when considered on a cosmic scale. Stars are plasmas (the fourth state of matter); giant planets are mainly gases, with frigid liquids occurring only at great depths below their cloud tops; terrestrial (small) planets are generally solid and rocky; and the giant molecular clouds found in interstellar space contain mostly hydrogen and helium gas. 

With a focus on several important liquids, including water, blood, oil, and mercury, Liquid Matter highlights the most important scientific principles upon which the field is based, and identifies the wide range of applications that fluid science plays in almost all professional scientific and engineering fields. 

Chapters include:

• Liquid Matter—An Initial Perspective
• Physical Characteristics of Liquids
• Fundamentals of Fluid Science
• Water—Nature's Most Amazing Molecule
• The Oceans
• Water—Its Power and Applications
• Liquid Refreshments
• Lethal Liquids
• Volcanoes, Hot Springs, and Geysers
• Very Cold Liquids.

Specifications

Full-color photographs and line illustrations. Index. Appendix. Glossary. Chronology. Further resources.

About the Author(s)

Joseph A. Angelo Jr., Ph.D., is a retired U.S. Air Force lieutenant colonel and is currently an adjunct professor in the science department of Valencia Community College, where he teaches an introductory astronomy course called The Cosmic Perspective. He is the author of many reference books, including the Frontiers in Space set and the award-winning Encyclopedia of Space and Astronomy, both for Facts On File.