Use the table to answer the question.

Question

Student Name Potential Energy Rating (lowest to highest)
Henry gas, liquid, solid
Jasmine gas, solid, liquid
Lucas solid, gas, liquid
Tasha solid, liquid, gas
Four students rank the potential energies of some states of matter. Which student is correct?

(1 point)
Responses

Jasmine
Jasmine

Lucas
Lucas

Henry
Henry

Tasha

Answer 1

To determine which student has correctly ranked the potential energies of the states of matter (gas, liquid, solid), we need to consider the general trends in potential energy for these states:

1. Gas: Highest potential energy, as the particles are far apart and have the most freedom to move.
2. Liquid: Medium potential energy, as the particles are closer together than in a gas but still move past each other.
3. Solid: Lowest potential energy, as the particles are closely packed and vibrate in place.

With this understanding, we can evaluate the rankings given by each student:

• Henry: gas, liquid, solid (This order is correct: gas has the highest potential energy, followed by liquid, then solid.)
• Jasmine: gas, solid, liquid (This order is incorrect: liquid should come before solid.)
• Lucas: solid, gas, liquid (This order is incorrect: gas should be first, followed by liquid, then solid.)
• Tasha: solid, liquid, gas (This order is also incorrect for the same reason as Lucas.')

Based on the analysis, the correct student is Henry.