Question

What happens when heat is removed from water?

The water particles move farther apart.
The water changes from a liquid to a gas.
The temperature of the water increases.
The kinetic energy of the water particles decreases.

Answer 1

Correct answer: only "The kinetic energy of the water particles decreases."

Explanations:
- "The water particles move farther apart." — false. Removing heat lowers particle motion so they tend to move closer together (contraction), not farther apart.
- "The water changes from a liquid to a gas." — false. Removing heat causes cooling and may cause liquid → solid (freezing) or gas → liquid (condensation), not liquid → gas (which requires adding heat).
- "The temperature of the water increases." — false. Removing heat lowers the temperature (except during a phase change where temperature can stay constant while latent heat is removed).
- "The kinetic energy of the water particles decreases." — true. Temperature is a measure of average kinetic energy of particles; removing heat generally reduces that kinetic energy. (Note: during a phase change the temperature — and thus average kinetic energy — can remain constant while latent heat is removed.)