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The kinetic energies of particles in a sample of matter are increasing. This sample is most likely:

A) a liquid that is warming.
B) a gas that is cooling.
C) a liquid that is turning into a solid.
D) a gas that is turning into a liquid.

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Final answer:

A sample of matter with increasing kinetic energies of particles is likely undergoing the process of vaporization or the gas is heating up, rather than a gas turning into a liquid.

Step-by-step explanation:

When the kinetic energies of particles in a sample of matter are increasing, it implies that they are gaining more energy and moving more rapidly. In the context of phase changes, if a substance is going from a liquid to a gas, this would be signified by an increase in the particles' kinetic energy. This process is known as vaporization or evaporation. Particles in a gas have greater kinetic energy than in a liquid because they are vibrating quickly and moving freely in all directions.

Condensation, on the other hand, involves a decrease in kinetic energy as a gas transforms into a liquid. The statement that a gas turning into a liquid most likely corresponds with increasing kinetic energy is incorrect. Instead, if the particles are gaining kinetic energy, the sample is more likely transitioning from a liquid to a gaseous state, or the gas may simply be heating up. Thus, a correct scenario would involve a liquid that is vaporizing into a gas, or simply a gas whose temperature is increasing.

User Jitesh Dhamaniya
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