Question
The density of steel decreases as it melts. How does the spacing of the particles change as the steel melts? __
Answer
4.4
(267 Votes)
Hayden
Master · Tutor for 5 years
Answer
The spacing between the particles increases as the steel melts.
Explanation
## Step 1:When any material, including steel, is subjected to enough heat, it undergoes a phase transition from solid to liquid and transitions from a more rigid to a flexible state.## Step 2:As the temperature increases, the steel absorbs heat energy. This energy gets transferred to the particles that make up the steel, which, in turn, leads to an increase in their kinetic energy.## Step 3:The higher kinetic energy among the particles results in them moving more rapidly and erratically. As a result, they are no longer held in their fixed positions by the strong atomic forces present in solvated states.## Step 4:Lastly, as these particles move away from their original positions, creating less crowded conditions, this leads to an increase in the spacing between the particles.