Final answer:
Rubbing alcohol molecules as a gas have the same structure as in the liquid but with more kinetic energy and less intermolecular attraction, which upon evaporation causes a cooling effect through evaporative cooling.
Step-by-step explanation:
When rubbing alcohol evaporates from your hand, it leaves a cooling sensation because the molecules in the liquid state require a certain threshold of kinetic energy to overcome intermolecular forces and escape into a gas state. The correct statement regarding how the molecules of gas compare to the molecules as a liquid is:
- The gas and liquid particles have the same structure and identity but different motion and kinetic energy.
In the gaseous state, particles move faster and are further apart compared to when they are in the liquid state, where particles are closer together and have stronger intermolecular attractions. This process of evaporation involves evaporative cooling, where the molecules with higher kinetic energy escape, leaving behind those with lower kinetic energy, which results in a decrease in temperature.