Arrange the following substances in increasing order of forces of attraction between the particles— water, sugar, oxygen.
Answer:
The force of attraction between particles depends on the state of matter:
- Gases have the weakest forces of attraction because their particles are far apart and move freely.
- Liquids have moderate forces of attraction, allowing particles to move but remain close together.
- Solids have the strongest forces of attraction because their particles are tightly packed in a fixed structure.
Given substances:
Oxygen (Gas)
- Oxygen is in the gaseous state, meaning its particles are far apart and move randomly.
- The forces of attraction between oxygen molecules are very weak.
Water (Liquid)
- Water is in the liquid state, so its molecules are closer together than gas molecules but still have some movement.
- The forces of attraction in water are stronger than in oxygen but weaker than in solids.
Sugar (Solid)
- Sugar is in the solid state, meaning its particles are tightly packed in an ordered arrangement.
- The forces of attraction between sugar molecules are very strong, keeping it in a fixed shape.