When gallium is melting in a person's hand, several microscopic changes occur:
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The gallium atoms will increase in temperature: True. When gallium absorbs heat from the person's hand, its temperature will rise, indicating that the average energy of the atoms is increasing.
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The gallium atoms will gain kinetic energy: True. As the temperature of gallium rises, its atoms gain kinetic energy, leading to more vigorous motion among the atoms.
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The gallium atoms will be moving faster on average: True. With the increase in kinetic energy, the average speed of the gallium atoms will also increase, contributing to the transition from a solid to a liquid state.
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The gallium atoms will gain potential energy, moving freely from each other: True, but with some clarification. As gallium melts, the atoms transition from a structured arrangement (solid state) to a less structured arrangement (liquid state). This means that while they are still interacting, their potential energy increases because they are moving apart enough to overcome some of the intermolecular attractions that hold them in the solid form.
In summary, as gallium melts, all the mentioned changes occur on a microscopic level, including increasing temperature, kinetic energy, movement speed, and potential energy associated with the transition to a liquid state.
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