Final answer:
The statement regarding gas volume staying the same when released from a container is false; gases expand to fill their available space. Solids and liquids have volumes that do not significantly change with pressure, while gases are compressible and expandable.
Step-by-step explanation:
The assertion that a gas such as helium takes the volume of the container it is in is correct. However, the statement that the volume of helium will stay the same when the gas is released from the balloon is false. When a gas is released from a container like a balloon, the volume it occupies changes because a gas expands to fill the entire space available to it. This characteristic of gases is due to the weak forces between gas molecules, which allow them to move freely and occupy the entire volume of their container.
Additionally, it is true that a solid such as an orange has a fixed shape and volume, whereas a liquid like orange juice will change its shape, not its volume, to fit the container it is placed in. On the other hand, gases do not have a fixed shape or volume and will expand or compress based on the container’s size and external conditions such as temperature and pressure.
Solids and liquids have volumes that are very nearly independent of pressure, which is why the volume of watermelon or orange juice remains the same when moved from one container to another. Matter can change between solid, liquid, and gas states through the addition or removal of heat in a process called a physical change, but this does not alter the chemical composition of the substance.