Editing State of matter (section)

===Liquid===
{{Main|Liquid}}
[[File:Gif -AtomosLiquid 03.gif|thumb|upright=0.75|Simple illustration of particles in the liquid state – they can flow and change shape.]]

A liquid is a nearly incompressible [[fluid]] that conforms to the shape of its container but retains a (nearly) constant volume independent of pressure. The volume is definite if the [[temperature]] and [[pressure]] are constant. When a solid is heated above its [[melting point]], it becomes liquid, given that the pressure is higher than the [[triple point]] of the substance. Intermolecular (or interatomic or interionic) forces are still important, but the molecules have enough energy to move relative to each other and the structure is mobile. This means that the shape of a liquid is not definite but is determined by its container. The volume is usually greater than that of the corresponding solid, the best known exception being [[water]], H{{sub|2}}O. The highest temperature at which a given liquid can exist is its [[critical temperature]].<ref name="White">
{{Cite book
 |author=F. White
 |date=2003
 |title=Fluid Mechanics
 |page=4
 |publisher=McGraw-Hill
 |isbn=978-0-07-240217-9
}}</ref>