To determine which student is correct in their ranking of potential energy from lowest to highest, we need to understand the typical behavior of the states of matter in terms of potential energy:
- Gas: Has the highest potential energy because the particles are far apart and have a lot of kinetic energy.
- Liquid: Medium potential energy; the particles are closer together than in a gas but can still flow.
- Solid: Has the lowest potential energy; the particles are closely packed and vibrate in fixed positions.
Based on these principles, we can assess the rankings given by each student:
- Henry: gas, liquid, solid (Incorrect - gas should have the highest potential energy)
- Jasmine: gas, solid, liquid (Incorrect - gas should be the highest, solid should be the lowest)
- Lucas: solid, gas, liquid (Incorrect - solid should be the lowest, gas the highest)
- Tasha: solid, liquid, gas (Correct - lowest to highest potential energy)
The correct answer is Tasha.