Question

Choose the terms and phrases that correctly complete the sentences:

Gloria's family built a new deck using building materials made from recycled plastic bottles. As they were heated, the plastics softened and were formed into new shapes. These plastics were __________ solids, and their particles are arranged __________.
a) Amorphous, randomly
b) Crystalline, in a repeating pattern
c) Liquid, with no definite structure
d) Gaseous, evenly dispersed

Answer 1

Amorphous solids like the plastics used for the deck lack an ordered internal structure, with their particles arranged randomly rather than in a repeating pattern like crystalline solids. Option a

Step-by-step explanation:

Gloria's family built a new deck using building materials made from recycled plastic bottles. As these plastics were heated, they softened and could be formed into new shapes. This characteristic is typical of amorphous solids, which do not possess a long-range ordered internal structure.

Therefore, these plastics were amorphous solids, and their particles are arranged randomly. Unlike crystalline solids, which have particles in a repeating pattern, amorphous solids like plastics and glass have particles that do not form a regular pattern and thus do not have a distinct melting point.

This attribute allows these materials to gradually soften and be molded, which is essential for recycling processes. Option a