You are a researcher for a golf club manufacturer. you are given two identical looking cubes of a metal alloy. you are informed that they are made of the exact same material, but one is crystalline, whereas the other is amorphous. it is your job to determine which one is amorphous because this one is more stress-resistant and is useful in reinforcing golf clubs. which of the following is the best way to determine which is which? a. determine the density of each cube. the more dense one is the amorphous solid.
b. melt both cubes and look for a broader range of melting temperatures. the one that melts over a broader range of temperatures is the amorphous solid.
c. determine the density of each cube. the less dense cube is the amorphous solid.
d. melt both cubes and measure the range of melting temperatures. the one that melts over a narrower range of temperatures is the amorphous solid.

The answer is the opcion b. Melt both cubes and look for a broader range of melting temperatures.

Explanation:

Crystalline solids

In crystalline solids, the atoms, ions or molecules are arrenged in a highly ordered and symmetrical pattern that is repeated along the principal directions, forming a network called a crystal lattice. There are 14 tipes of lattices, called Bravais lattices, and they are classified into seven crystal systems: cubic, triclinic, monclinic, orthorhombic, tetagronal, hexagonal and rhombohedral. Because of the regular arrangement of particles and the repeating geometric structure of crystal, all the bonds between the particles have equal strength, that is why a crystalline solid will have a distinct melting point (heat will cause the break of all the bonds at the same time). Common table salt is an example of this kind of solids.

Amorphous solids        

Unlike crystalline solids, in amorphous solids the particles do not have a repeating lattice pattern. That is why an amorphous solid does not have a definite melting point, instead, it melts gradually over a range of temperatures (heat will not break all the bonds at the same time). Glass and gels are examples of this tipe of solids.

I hope this helps.