kiteytymätöntä

Kiteytymätöntä, often translated as "amorphous" in English, refers to a state of matter lacking a defined crystalline structure. Unlike crystalline solids, where atoms or molecules are arranged in a highly ordered, repeating lattice, the constituent particles in an amorphous material are in a disordered, random arrangement. This lack of long-range order is a defining characteristic.

Amorphous materials can be solids, liquids, or even gases, though the term is most commonly applied to solids. Amorphous solids, sometimes referred to as glasses, are formed when a liquid cools rapidly enough to prevent the molecules from arranging themselves into an ordered crystalline structure. Examples include common glass used in windows and bottles, as well as certain plastics and gels.

The physical properties of amorphous materials often differ from their crystalline counterparts. For instance, amorphous solids typically have a lower melting point and soften gradually over a range of temperatures, whereas crystalline solids have a sharp melting point. They also tend to be isotropic, meaning their properties are the same in all directions, due to their disordered nature. In contrast, crystalline solids are often anisotropic, exhibiting different properties depending on the direction within the crystal lattice. The study of amorphous materials is an important area in materials science, with applications ranging from electronics to biology.