Question

question 21
4 pts
according to the kinetic theory of gases, a gas can be compressed much more than a liquid or solid because ________.
the particles of a gas are very far apart
a gas is composed of very small particles
gas particles move rapidly
gas particles do not attract or repel one another
gas particles move faster when the temperature increases

Explanation:

According to the kinetic theory of gases, the compressibility of a gas is related to the spacing between its particles. In gases, the particles are very far apart compared to liquids and solids. This large inter - particle distance allows for more significant reduction in volume when pressure is applied (compression).

• The fact that a gas is composed of very small particles (\(a\ gas\ is\ composed\ of\ very\ small\ particles\)) does not directly explain why it is more compressible. Small particle size alone does not account for the large - scale volume changes.
• Gas particles moving rapidly (\(gas\ particles\ move\ rapidly\)) is related to properties like diffusion, not directly to compressibility.
• Gas particles not attracting or repelling one another (\(gas\ particles\ do\ not\ attract\ or\ repel\ one\ another\)) is more about the ideal gas behavior in terms of energy (no potential energy due to inter - particle forces in ideal case), not about the physical space available for compression.
• Gas particles moving faster when the temperature increases (\(gas\ particles\ move\ faster\ when\ the\ temperature\ increases\)) is a temperature - related kinetic property (from \(KE=\frac{3}{2}kT\)), not related to compressibility.

Answer:

the particles of a gas are very far apart