Is Peanut Butter a liquid or a solid?

Question

I've always wondered if Peanut Butter is a liquid or a solid, and I think it probably comes down to a molecular level. peanut butter can flow ever slowly, especially at a warm temperature, so i suppose I want to know what it is at room temperature. also, what about Jam?

Answer 1

solid duuuh.

the particles are packed closely together

but jam is a liquid because the particles are farther apart

& they can slide past eachother.  

Answer 2

It's an emulsion.  A suspension of solids in a liquid matrix (peanut oil).  If you heat it and leave it to sit, many peanut butters will separate those two phases.   Some use more emulsifying agents and make that harder to happen.   At some temperatures, as one answer said, this emulsion IS thixotropic.. meaning it flows better when you press on it than when you don't.    You can make another interesting thixotropic emulsion by getting the right combination of water and corn starch.  

Answer 3

im thinking its a cheese

Answer 4

Peanut Butter is a solid.

Jam is also a solid.

Answer 5

Its a solid. It only flows very smoothly when its heated up.. same with any other solid... like metal.

Answer 6

its a solid.   liquids liquify.  ice melts to water etc

Answer 7

It's a thixotropic material. This means that when its sturred up its fluid, and when its left to settle it goes solid. Is this the best answer?? LOL ;)

Answer 8

solid

Answer 9

its nether, a liquid in like water, you can poor it, a solid is like a block, its hard, you guys need to go back to school.

Answer 10

Bella, At room temperature I would say that both are considered solid. Unless of course the room is very very hot !

Answer 11

Well I believe peanut butter is a solid and jam is a liquid.

Answer 12

It`s a SOLID !!!!...It has the consistency of p**p, and p**p is considered a SOLID WASTE.

Answer 13

Peanut Butter is a solid, wtf is wrong with these people.

Answer 14

put a glob in a cup, does it mush to form the cup shape, or keep its own shape? check in on it after a while and if the peaut butter has formed the shape of the cup, it is a liquid. or you could put it on your hand and see if it seeps through your fingers, a solid wouldnt, a liquid would.

Answer 15

i think liquid??

Answer 16

What's the point of this question sounds like you might be a little high.  Yes peanut butter is solid and jam is too, yes just as ice does when somethings get warm they melt.  Not sure what the point of this wuestion is though?

Answer 17

liquid

Answer 18

its actually a gas

Answer 19

It is one of those interesting borderline cases.  At refrigerator temperature, is a solid. At southern US summer temperatures, it's liquid (actually a suspension).  In between, it depends on how long you are willing to wait.

Just like silly putty, which is an elastic solid on the timescale of your throwing it and bouncing it, but a liquid on the timescale of your leaving it around for hours.

Answer 20

Peanut butter is a liquid, but it has viscosity (The resistance of a liquid to flow) because only the olive oil that's found within it settles at the top because of the density of both when its set in a jar. Jam i believe is also a liquid, but it might have the same effect as Peanut butter without the olive oil.  

Answer 21

Soquid

Answer 22

its a solquid.

Answer 23

Jam is a solid if you freeze it but liquid otherwise same with peanut butter and if you get some bread you can have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. ; )

Answer 24

Peanut Butter is a liquid because it doesnt take shape of the container its in right?

Answer 25

solid

Answer 26

Well, you could probably sit in a tub of peanut butter and pretty much stay on top of it....it wouldn't "drain"...so, I would say a solid...but maybe there's an in between?  I can't remember this stuff.