Satya said:
The fact of the matter is their isn't any real space between atoms in the solid, liquid, or gas state. Pressure and gravity eliminates such space, and the speed at wich the atoms are moving means all space that could be present is occupied at all times by one atom or another.
It's the same story with the electron cloud. Although it is an extraordinary amount of space to be filled by such insignificant mass as an electron, the eletrons are moving at such extraordinary speeds that at any instant in time, the area is occupied by an electron, whether its from its own atom or from another atom.
This is how I would've answered the question about the space between atoms. ^^^
When I visualize atoms near each other, the electrons are using up as much space as they can, filling the space that they have. The electrons are moving so fast that there is no spot unfilled and they move faster when farther apart to make sure that that space is filled. Gas molecules move faster than liquid molecules which move faster than solid molecules. the more compressed, the less space that the atoms have and the slower they can move to fill the gaps. at least that is the visual in my mind.
as for things being wet.... my visual. the first four definitions on dictionary.com for 'wet' are:
1. moistened, covered, or soaked with water or some other liquid: wet hands.
2. in a liquid form or state: wet paint.
3. characterized by the presence or use of water or other liquid.
4. moistened or dampened with rain; rainy: Wet streets make driving hazardous.
My visualization... well water molecules are pretty tiny, they can diffuse through cell membranes without requiring energy. since water molecules are attracted to other water molecules (cohesion) and since they are tiny, they will stick together in between the bigger molecules of whatever object it is diffusing through. water moves from high concentration to low concentration, explaining why a dry cloth would soak up water instead of the small water molecules passing through the cloth without sticking at all. (also, water has adhesion properties). water is pretty awesome with all those cool properties
also, I agree with this: V V V
Inkling said:
Wetness can be subjective sometimes. There are times when something extremely cold feels wet (perhaps because condensation is starting, but perhaps not), and times when a cool, crisp piece of smooth fabric feels deceivingly wet.