vätskor

Vätskor, in Swedish meaning liquids, refers to substances that flow and take the shape of their containers while maintaining a relatively constant volume. In science, liquids are one of the primary states of matter, sitting between solids, which have rigid shapes, and gases, which expand to fill available space.

Liquids are characterized by their ability to flow under applied forces and by their relatively high density and incompressibility compared with gases. They have a definite volume, but no fixed shape. They also exhibit properties such as viscosity, which measures resistance to flow, and surface tension, which governs how their surfaces behave at interfaces. The density, boiling point, melting point, vapor pressure, and solubility determine how a liquid behaves under changing temperature and pressure. Liquids can mix with other liquids to form solutions or remain immiscible, and their behavior is influenced by factors such as polarity and intermolecular forces.

Classification typically distinguishes pure liquids from mixtures, and further divides them by polarity, volatility, and chemical composition. Common liquids include water, alcohols, oils, and molten metals. Liquids play central roles in biology, chemistry, and engineering as solvents, reaction media, lubricants, coolants, and transport fluids.

Phase changes such as melting, freezing, boiling, and condensation describe transitions between liquids and other states. Measurements use units of density, viscosity, boiling point, and surface tension. While the term vätskor covers a broad range of fluids in everyday language, technical discussions emphasize molecular interactions, mixtures, and thermodynamic behavior.