Question

Discuss the properties of solids, liquids and gases in terms of:

vi. Compressibility.

Answer 1

Compressibility:

• The molecules in the solid-state are tightly packed and the intermolecular distance is very small. So solids cannot be compressed easily.
• The molecules in the liquid state are not very tightly packed. The intermolecular distance is more than that in solids. Therefore liquids can be compressed to some extent but not so easily.
• The molecules in the gaseous state are loosely packed. The intermolecular distances are very large and a lot of empty space is available. Therefore, gases can be compressed easily.