Question

a teacher challenged his class to develop a model to represent a substance undergoing a phase change from solid to liquid at the molecular level. in the table below, four groups describe their models.

group	description from group
group 2	we curled our hands into fists to represent the molecules and made them all touch each other to start. then, we all slowly moved our fists away from one another in different directions.
group 3	first, we blew up a balloon to fill it with air molecules. then, we popped it to release the air into the room.

in the space below, identify the group that made the most accurate model of a solid - to - liquid phase change. explain the reason for your answer using your knowledge of thermal energy and molecular motion.

Explanation:

Answer:

Group 1 made the most accurate model of a solid - to - liquid phase change. In a solid, molecules have low thermal energy and vibrate in fixed positions (like marbles in a tight structure). As thermal energy increases (phase change to liquid), molecules gain more energy (can roll freely around in the jar as in Group 1's model), which aligns with the concept of molecular motion and thermal energy changes during phase transitions.