In condensed matter physics and materials science, an amorphous solid is a solid that lacks the long-range order that is characteristic of a crystal. The terms "glass" and "glassy solid" are sometimes used synonymously with amorphous solid; however, these terms refer specifically to amorphous materials that undergo a glass transition. Examples of amorphous solids include glasses, metallic glasses, and certain types of plastics and polymers.
Glass is a commonly encountered example of amorphous solids.
Amorphous metals have low toughness, but high strength
Materials science is an interdisciplinary field of researching and discovering materials. Materials engineering is an engineering field of finding uses for materials in other fields and industries.
A diamond cuboctahedron showing seven crystallographic planes, imaged with scanning electron microscopy
A late Bronze Age sword or dagger blade
Crystal structure of a perovskite with a chemical formula ABX3
Microstructure of pearlite