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Do gases vibrate?

Hey,

According to my teacher, only solids vibrate. That lead me to a wrong (or rather right) answer on the quiz. Now I have been trying to disprove that. I have got one resource from Prudue University which says actually that three of the states of matter vibrate.

What are other proofs of the three states of matter (specifically gases) vibrating?
Original post by alifleih
Hey,

According to my teacher, only solids vibrate. That lead me to a wrong (or rather right) answer on the quiz. Now I have been trying to disprove that. I have got one resource from Prudue University which says actually that three of the states of matter vibrate.

What are other proofs of the three states of matter (specifically gases) vibrating?

Hmm, interesting question... depends what you mean by vibrate
Original post by alifleih
Hey,

According to my teacher, only solids vibrate. That lead me to a wrong (or rather right) answer on the quiz. Now I have been trying to disprove that. I have got one resource from Prudue University which says actually that three of the states of matter vibrate.

What are other proofs of the three states of matter (specifically gases) vibrating?


Yes you are right in a sense gases do vibrate, in fact they do more than that (hence they cover the vibration part that both solid and liquid does too). But I will say let it go as your teacher meant vibrate only in the cases for solid. If he/she asked for gases, vibration is not the correct answer as gases do more than that. Hence, he/she is right.
Original post by zaback21
Yes you are right in a sense gases do vibrate, in fact they do more than that (hence they cover the vibration part that both solid and liquid does too). But I will say let it go as your teacher meant vibrate only in the cases for solid. If he/she asked for gases, vibration is not the correct answer as gases do more than that. Hence, he/she is right.


Thank you! :smile:
Reply 4
Define "vibration".

Air in flute - does it vibrate?

Atoms in N2 molecule - do they vibrate?

Original statement is so ambiguous it is completely meaningless.

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