Question

density describes how much mass is contained in a certain volume. knowing how far apart molecules are in each state, which best ranks solids, liquids, and gasses from least dense to most dense?
gasses are denser than liquids.
liquids are denser than solids.
gasses are less dense than solids.
solids are less dense than liquids.

Explanation:

To determine the correct ranking, we analyze the molecular arrangement in each state:

• In gases, molecules are far apart with large empty spaces, so they have low density.
• In liquids, molecules are closer than in gases but more spread out than in solids.
• In solids, molecules are closely packed, resulting in higher density.

Now, let's evaluate each option:

• "Gasses are denser than liquids": Incorrect, as gas molecules are more spread out than liquid molecules, so gases are less dense than liquids.
• "Liquids are denser than solids": Incorrect, in most cases, solids have closely packed molecules, making them denser than liquids (though there are exceptions like water, but the general trend is solids > liquids in density).
• "Gasses are less dense than solids": Correct, because gas molecules are far apart and solid molecules are closely packed, so gases have lower density than solids.
• "Solids are less dense than liquids": Incorrect, as explained earlier, solids are generally denser than liquids.

Answer:

Gasses are less dense than solids.