Question

A group of students want to use marbles in a clear shoe box with a lid to model the particles in a solid, liquid, and a gas. In your answer, describe the motion of particles in each state of matter and how you would model the motion of the particles in each state.

Answer 1

Particles in a solid are tightly and closely packed together. They do not move. For example rock, wood etc.

Particles in a liquid are loosely packed as compared to solids.They move or slide slowly. For example water.

Particles in gases are very loosely packed and freely move and float. For example oxygen.

The students will have to model their marbles accordingly. For solids they will have to put the marbles together in a cluster. For showing liquids, they will have to arrange marbles with slight gaps between them. For showing gases, they will have to arrange the marbles sparsely and scatter them in the box.