In which phase of matter do particles have the least kinetic energy?
Practice Questions
1 question
Q1
In which phase of matter do particles have the least kinetic energy?
Solid
Liquid
Gas
Plasma
In solids, particles are closely packed and vibrate in fixed positions, resulting in the least kinetic energy compared to liquids, gases, and plasmas.
Questions & Step-by-step Solutions
1 item
Q
Q: In which phase of matter do particles have the least kinetic energy?
Solution: In solids, particles are closely packed and vibrate in fixed positions, resulting in the least kinetic energy compared to liquids, gases, and plasmas.
Steps: 5
Step 1: Understand what kinetic energy is. Kinetic energy is the energy of motion. The more motion particles have, the more kinetic energy they possess.
Step 2: Identify the four main phases of matter: solids, liquids, gases, and plasmas.
Step 3: Compare the movement of particles in each phase. In solids, particles are tightly packed and can only vibrate in place. In liquids, particles are close but can move around each other. In gases, particles are far apart and move freely. In plasmas, particles are highly energetic and move very quickly.
Step 4: Determine which phase has the least movement. Since particles in solids only vibrate and do not move around much, they have the least kinetic energy.
Step 5: Conclude that solids have the least kinetic energy compared to liquids, gases, and plasmas.