Question

when you boil water, what happens that allows the liquid to turn into gas?
the molecules have very little energy and disperse in a gas.
the molecules have a lot of energy and overcome forces that hold them together.
the molecules form strong bonds and can then evaporate.

Explanation:

When boiling water, liquid (water) turns to gas (steam). For this phase change, water molecules in liquid gain energy (from heat). The correct explanation is about molecules gaining enough energy to overcome intermolecular forces (like hydrogen bonds in water) that hold them in liquid state, allowing them to disperse as gas. The second option ("The molecules have a lot of energy and overcome forces that hold them together") matches this: boiling provides energy for molecules to overcome intermolecular forces, transitioning to gas. The first option describes gas molecules (not the process of liquid to gas), and the third is incorrect (water molecules in liquid don't form strong bonds to evaporate; rather, they overcome forces).

Answer:

The middle option (The molecules have a lot of energy and overcome forces that hold them together)