Which state of matter is characterized by particles packed tightly and vibrating in place?

Which state of matter is characterized by particles packed tightly and vibrating in place?

• A. Liquids
• B. Solids
• C. Gases
• D. Plasma

Answer: (B)

Particles arranged tightly with little room to move define a solid. In a solid, the particles are packed close together and mainly just vibrate in place. That limited motion keeps the material's shape and volume stable. In contrast, liquids have particles that are less tightly packed and can slide past one another, so they flow and take the shape of their container but keep a fixed volume. Gases have particles far apart and moving freely, so they spread out to fill space and don’t hold a definite shape or volume. Plasma is a high-energy state where atoms are ionized and the particles move even more chaotically. So the description of being packed tightly and vibrating in place points to solids.

Particles arranged tightly with little room to move define a solid. In a solid, the particles are packed close together and mainly just vibrate in place. That limited motion keeps the material's shape and volume stable. In contrast, liquids have particles that are less tightly packed and can slide past one another, so they flow and take the shape of their container but keep a fixed volume. Gases have particles far apart and moving freely, so they spread out to fill space and don’t hold a definite shape or volume. Plasma is a high-energy state where atoms are ionized and the particles move even more chaotically. So the description of being packed tightly and vibrating in place points to solids.