The diagram below shows a substance undergoing a phase change. The substance is changing from a solid to a liquid.
Which of the following is true?
A.
The particles in the liquid are moving slower than they were in the solid.
B.
The particles in the liquid are moving at the same speed that they were moving in the solid.
C.
The particles in the liquid are fixed and unable to move at all.
D.
The particles in the liquid are moving faster than they were in the solid.
1 answer
The correct answer is:
D. The particles in the liquid are moving faster than they were in the solid.
When a substance undergoes a phase change from solid to liquid (melting), the particles gain energy and begin to move more freely, resulting in faster movement compared to when they were in the solid state, where they are more closely packed and vibrate in fixed positions.
