Final answer:
When a solid turns into a liquid, its particles gain enough energy to move past one another while staying close together, allowing the liquid to flow and take the shape of its container.
Step-by-step explanation:
When a solid changes into a liquid, the correct statement about the particles of the solid is: C) The particles are able to move past one another.
In the solid phase, particles are closely packed and vibrate about fixed positions due to the strong intermolecular attraction. As heat is added and the solid turns into a liquid, the particles gain enough energy to overcome some of these attractive forces, allowing them to move past each other while remaining in close contact, which defines the liquid state. Thus, liquids are able to flow and take the shape of their container.