Final answer:
To determine whether a substance is a liquid or a plasma, check the charge of the substance’s particles, the distance between the particles, and the compressibility of the substance.
Therefore the correct answer is option C, D and E.
Step-by-step explanation:
To distinguish whether a substance is a liquid or a plasma, certain properties need to be observed. Here are the properties that can be checked:
- C.) the charge of the substance’s particles: Plasma is a state of matter where the gas phase is energized until atomic electrons are no longer associated with any particular atomic nucleus. Plasmas are made up of positively charged ions and free electrons and are thus influenced by electric and magnetic fields. Liquids do not possess this property.
- D.) the distance between the substance’s particles: In a liquid, particles are closely packed but are still able to move around, while in a plasma, the particles are in a much more energized and free state, often at a greater average distance from each other due to the thermal energy overcoming the intermolecular forces.
- E.) the compressibility of the substance: Liquids are typically much less compressible than gases. Plasma, similar to gas, can be compressed because its particles move freely and are not bound by intermolecular forces like in a liquid.
Properties such as mass, container, color, etc., are not useful in distinguishing between liquids and plasmas because these properties are not unique to either state of matter.