Describe what happens to the shape and volume of a solid, a liquid, and a gas when you place each into separate, closed containers?

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In a solid the molecules are closely bound to one another by intermolecular forces. A solid holds its shape and the volume of a solid is fixed by the shape of the solid.

In a liquid the intermolecular forces are weaker than in a solid. A liquid will take the shape of its container and a liquid has a fixed volume.

In a gas the intermolecular forces are very weak. A gas fills its container, taking both the shape and the volume of the container.

When you place a solid, a liquid, and a gas into separate closed containers, each substance behaves differently in terms of shape and volume.

Solid: A solid has a definite shape and volume. When placed in a closed container, a solid will maintain its shape and volume, as the particles that make up the solid are tightly packed and have strong intermolecular forces holding them in place.

Liquid: A liquid has a definite volume but takes the shape of its container. When a liquid is placed in a closed container, it will adjust to the shape of the container, filling it evenly. However, the volume will remain the same, as the particles in a liquid have weaker intermolecular forces compared to a solid, allowing them to move and flow.

Gas: A gas has neither a definite shape nor volume. When a gas is placed in a closed container, it will fill the entire available space, taking both the shape and volume of the container. The particles in a gas have weak intermolecular forces and are far apart, allowing them to move freely and rapidly, resulting in the expansion of the gas to occupy the entire container.

To understand this concept, you can conduct a simple experiment or thought experiment for each substance.

For a solid, take any solid object and place it in a closed box. You will observe that the solid maintains its shape and volume, not changing to fill the container.

For a liquid, take a liquid substance (like water) and pour it into a closed bottle or glass. You will notice that the liquid takes the shape of the container, but the volume remains the same.

For a gas, imagine releasing a gas (such as air) in a closed room. The gas will quickly fill the entire room, taking the shape and volume of the room, evenly spreading throughout the available space.

By performing or visualizing these experiments, you can better understand the behavior of solids, liquids, and gases when placed in separate closed containers.