Liquids take the shape of the bottom of their container, while gases take the shape of their entire container. The shape solids take, however, is independent of their container. In 3–5 sentences, explain these patterns.
The difference in behavior between liquids, gases, and solids is due to the arrangement and mobility of their constituent particles. In liquids, the particles are free to move and flow past one another, allowing them to take the shape of their container's bottom but not spread out completely. Gases, on the other hand, have particles that are completely free to move and have high kinetic energy, enabling them to fill the entire container evenly. Solids, with their closely packed and ordered particles, maintain a fixed shape since they do not possess the freedom to move and rearrange themselves like liquids or gases.
Liquids have a fixed volume but not a fixed shape. This is because the particles in liquids are relatively close together, allowing them to slide and flow past each other, taking the shape of the bottom of their container. Gases, on the other hand, have both variable volume and shape. Gas particles are far apart and move rapidly, spreading out to fill the entire space available to them. Solids, unlike liquids and gases, have both a fixed shape and volume. The particles in solids are closely packed and have strong intermolecular forces that hold them in a fixed arrangement, allowing solids to maintain a distinct shape that is independent of their container.
