Chemical Crystals - Chemical compounds can exist in three basic phases, gaseous, liquid, or solid. Gases consist of weakly bonded atoms and expand to fill any available space. Solids are characterized by strong atomic bonding and have a rigid shape. Most are crystalline, having a three-dimensional periodic atomic arrangement. Some, such as glass, lack this periodic arrangement and are noncrystalline, or amorphous.
Liquids have characteristics that fall in between gases and solids.
This cinemicrographic collection presents time-lapse movies of various chemical compounds as they change physical states. The vast majority of pond inhabitants, however, are invisible until viewed under the microscope. In this collection of digital movies, observe the activities of microscopic organisms taken from a typical North Florida pond. Many of the movies were made with a modified version of the microscope adapted for polarized light with a full-wave retardation plate in the optical pathway. The latest software version, RealPlayer 8 Basic, will provide access to RealAudio, RealVideo, live events plus more features.