To evaluate the rankings provided by the four students regarding the potential energy of the states of matter, it's important to understand that potential energy generally increases as the particles are more spread out and move freely, which is characteristic of gases. In contrast, solids have particles that are closely packed with limited movement, leading to lower potential energy.
Here's a quick overview of the potential energy ranking of the states of matter from lowest to highest:
- Solid - Lowest potential energy because the particles are tightly packed and have minimal movement.
- Liquid - Moderate potential energy; particles are more spread out than in solids and can slide past each other, allowing for more movement.
- Gas - Highest potential energy as particles are far apart and move freely.
Now, let's review each student's ranking based on this understanding:
- Henry: gas, liquid, solid (incorrect, as gas should be the highest, not the lowest)
- Tasha: solid, liquid, gas (correct, matching the expected order)
- Jasmine: gas, solid, liquid (incorrect, as gas should be highest, not lowest)
- Lucas: solid, gas, liquid (incorrect, as gas and liquid should not be arranged this way)
Thus, the correct student is Tasha, who ranked the states of matter as solid (lowest potential energy), liquid (middle), and gas (highest potential energy).
13 answers