Solids are rigid substances that have a definite shape and volume. In solids, atoms, ions, and molecules are held tightly together by strong bonds, causing solids to lack the ability to flow. There are two main types of solids - crystalline and amorphous. Crystalline solids have a regular repeating pattern of atoms and sharp melting points, while amorphous solids lack this organized structure. The positions of particles in a crystalline solid form a crystal lattice defined by a repeating unit cell. Methods like X-ray crystallography use the diffraction pattern of X-rays hitting the crystal structure to determine atomic positions.