States of matter Transitional Reasoning Download PDF

Questions

1. 1.

   A student investigates three closed cylinders containing equal masses of a pure substance in three distinct physical states—labeled X, Y, and Z—at a fixed temperature. When a piston applies mechanical pressure, Sample X and Sample Y show negligible changes in volume, while Sample Z easily compresses to half its initial volume. When transferred into larger flasks of varying geometry without pressure, Sample X retains both its original shape and volume, Sample Y adapts to the bottom shape of its container while keeping its volume constant, and Sample Z completely fills the entire interior space. Based on these observations, which statement correctly evaluates the particle behavior and microscopic properties of the samples?

   • A) Sample Z has particles arranged in an orderly lattice with minimal kinetic energy, preventing them from moving past one another.
   • B) Sample X represents a liquid because its closely packed particles readily slide past each other while maintaining a fixed boundary.
   • C) Sample Y exhibits negligible compressibility because attractive forces between its particles are completely absent, allowing unrestricted dispersion.
   • D) Sample Z represents a gas whose high compressibility and ability to fill any container stem from large intermolecular spaces and rapid, random particle motion.