alleryStart learning →Which statement correctly describes the gaseous state of matter?
- Particles vibrate about fixed positions
- The distance between its particles is large
- Its particles are closely packed together
- Its shape is indefinite but its volume is definite
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Correct answer: B. The distance between its particles is large
1. Gases differ from solids and liquids mainly in how far apart their particles sit.
2. In a gas the inter-particle distance is large, which is why gases are easily compressed.
3. Particles vibrating about fixed positions describes a solid, where they cannot move past one another.
4. Closely packed particles describe solids and liquids, not gases.
5. A gas has neither definite shape nor definite volume, since it always fills the whole container — the 'indefinite shape, definite volume' option describes a liquid.
_Source: NECTA CSEE 2022 Physics 031, Question 1: Multiple Choice, item (iii)_