Q. 3.7 - An Introduction to General, Organic, and Biological Chemistry

Question

Indicate whether each of the following describes at gas, a liquid, or a solid:

a. The breathing mixture in a scuba tank has no definite volume or shape.

b. The neon atoms in a Fighting display do not interact with each other.

c. The particles in an ice cube are held in a rigid structure.

Step-by-Step Solution

Answer

a. The breathing mixture  is a gas

b. The neon atoms  is a gas

c. The particles in an ice cube  is a solid

Step 1: Given Information (a)

(a) Is the breathing mixture in a scuba tank are gas, a liquid, or a solid?

Step 2: Explanation (a)

(a) The breathing mixture in a scuba tank is a mixture of several gases like Oxygen, Nitrogen and some trace amounts of Argon. Since gases have no definite volume or shape, the scuba tank mixture is in gaseous state.

Step 3: Given Information (b)

(b) Are the neon atoms in a fighting display are gas, a liquid, or a solid?

Step 4: Explanation (b)

(b) The atoms don't interact with one another, indicating that the distance between atoms is large. Therefore, it's a gas.

Step 5: Given Information (c)

(c) Are the particles in an ice cube are a gas, a liquid, or a solid.

Step 6: Explanation (c)

(c) Rigidity is the property of solids. Since the statement describes the ice cube as having a rigid structure, it is solid.