Question

Explain the statement ‘Gases have neither a fixed shape nor a fixed volume’.

Answer 1

• There are five main physical states of matter, solids liquids, gases, plasma, and Bose-Einstein condensate.
• Matter in the gaseous state is characterized by a very loosely packed arrangement of molecules.
• The force of attraction between the gas molecules is very low.
• The intermolecular space is large.
• Due to this molecular arrangement there are negligible intermolecular forces of attraction in the gaseous state.
• Molecules of the gas are in the state of random motion resulting in continuous collisions among themselves and with the walls of the container exerting pressure.
• The kinetic energy of the molecules is proportional to the temperature.
• Gases possess low density compared to liquids and solids.
• Gases exert pressure equally in all directions.
• Gases are capable of great expansion.
• Hence we can conclude that gases do not possess definite volume and shape.