The Magic of Atoms

For children aged 8 to 80

By Shariq Ali
Valueversity

Have you ever wondered how ice, water, and steam — all are actually clever tricks played by atoms?
Let’s understand this magical performance!

Solid, Liquid, Gas

When atoms are very close to each other, standing shoulder to shoulder, they form a solid (🧊).
If they keep a little distance, like droplets of water, they become liquid (💧).
And when they move freely like birds flying in all directions, they become gas (💨).

But… here’s a twist in the story!

Plasma (☀️⚡)

When we heat a gas even more, the atoms get so excited that they lose their electrons.
This creates a state where the particles become “charged,” meaning electricity flows through them!

That’s plasma.
The sun, the stars, even lightning (⚡) — all are plasma!

The amazing part is that about 99% of the matter in our universe is in the plasma state —
And yet, most of us were never taught about it in school!

So the state we know the least about is actually the most common in the universe.

Super Solid (🎭🧊➡️💧)

Now, let’s go to the other extreme.
Imagine a theatre with 1,000 seats.
If we cram 1,500 people inside, they would be so tightly packed that no one could move —
This is like a super-rigid solid: a super solid.

But here’s where it gets truly fascinating.
As more people try to enter, the same number of people quietly exit from another door —
as smoothly as liquid flows!

So at the same time, the theatre behaves like a solid from the inside, yet moves like a liquid.

This dual magic and cleverness of atoms surprises even scientists!

So that’s a super solid —
Not just frozen like ice, not just flowing like water,
but a blend of the best of both!

Quick Summary:

Atoms don’t just freeze, flow, or dance in the air

They can form glowing stars made of plasma,
And even in a frozen state, they can flow like a liquid — as super solids!

That’s the magic of science — and the grand illusion of atoms!

Honestly, I think مرزا غالب may have been a quantum physicist:

ہیں کواکب کچھ، نظر آتے ہیں کچھ
دیتے ہیں دھوکہ، یہ بازی گر کھلا

— مرزا غالب