Question

[GRE logic: 1) cross-off really wrong 2) do not cross off if you don't know 3) if not explicitly mentioned cross-off 4) if it "could or could not be" it is wrong 5) if answer choices are too similar they are wrong 6) pick what's left and move on]

A. Solid water has the same shape as other solid forms of matter
B. When dropped from the same height, an object with greater mass will fall to the ground more quickly than an object with less mass.
C. One cannot be both a scientist and a philosopher.
D. If Aristotle has followed Galileo's method, he would have rejected his hypothesis that solids were the least expanded form of matter.
E. In the absence of the scientific method, one cannot disprove commonly held misconceptions about the rules of physics.

Answer 1

Solid water, like other solids, has a definite shape and volume, whereas liquids and gases do not have a fixed shape and gases also do not have a fixed volume. Objects fall at the same rate regardless of mass when air resistance is not a factor.

Step-by-step explanation:

When analyzing the three common phases of matter, it is important to understand the physical properties that distinguish solids, liquids, and gases. Solid water, commonly known as ice, has a definite shape and volume, just like other solids. This is because the molecules in a solid are tightly packed together and vibrate in fixed positions, giving the solid a rigid structure. By contrast, liquids are not rigid and take the shape of their container, while maintaining a definite volume due to the looser arrangement of molecules that allows them to move past one another. Gases, with molecules that are much further apart and moving freely, have neither a definite shape nor a definite volume and will expand to fill their container.

The statement "When dropped from the same height, an object with greater mass will fall to the ground more quickly than an object with less mass" is a common misconception. According to the principles of physics, in the absence of air resistance, objects will fall at the same rate regardless of their mass because the acceleration due to gravity is constant for all objects.