liquid molecules crawl like worms

Categories: Comparisons

An example of simile used in science writing:

"The breaking up [on heating] of the beautiful crystalline structure of solid bodies forces the molecules first to crawl around one another like a pack of worms, and then fly apart as though they were a flock of frightened birds."

George Gamow (1961) One, Two, Three…Infinity. Facts and speculations of science, Revised Edition, Dover Publications, Inc., New York.

Read about similes in science

Read about examples of science similes

Many examples of science similes are listed in 'Creative Comparisons: Making Science Familiar through Language. An illustrative catalogue of figurative comparisons and analogies for science concepts'. Free Download.

Author: Keith

Former school and college science teacher, teacher educator, research supervisor, and research methods lecturer. Emeritus Professor of Science Education at the University of Cambridge.