Question
Describe the differences between the energy, spacing , and movement of molecules in a solid, a liquid, and a gas.
Answer
4.2
(219 Votes)
Stuart
Veteran · Tutor for 11 years
Answer
1. Solids: Low kinetic energy, less molecule space, slight vibration of the molecules.2. Liquids: Moderate kinetic energy, moderate molecule space, molecules can move or slide over each other.3. Gases: High kinetic energy, voluminous molecule space, molecules move freely with random, fast, straight-line movement.
Explanation
## Step 1: Energy differences among the states of matter.Energy varies among solids, liquids, and gases. Solids have minimal kinetic energy, while gases have the highest level of kinetic energy. Liquids are in between, having moderate kinetic energy. The kinetic energy level goes hand in hand with the energy house by the molecules - lower energy level in a solid and higher in a gas.## Step 2: Molecules Spacing.In a solid, the molecules are packed tightly together, meaning their spacing is minimal. In a liquid, the molecules have more space to move about slightly, thus having moderate molecule spacing. Gasses hold the most distance between each other, giving them laxed spacing.## Step 3: Molecule movement.The molecule motion corresponds with the inter molecular spacing. In solids, the molecules are restricted to get intimate. In liquids, molecules can slide or move over one another, enabling liquidity or the ability for the substance to flow. With gas, the molecules constantly move in disordered motion; they move freely, as there's a fabulous deal of space between particles.