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Course: Science — Second Preparatory
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States of Matter

Science — Second Preparatory

States of Matter

Attractive forces and their effect on properties

Attractive forces and their effect on properties

  • The forces of attraction between particles decide how firmly a substance holds together.
  • The stronger the attraction, the closer the particles are and the less freely they move.
Comparison aspectMain ideaKeywords
In a solid
  • the attraction is strong
  • so the particles keep their positions and only vibrate. That is why a solid keeps its shape and volume
attractionstrongparticleskeep
In a liquid
  • the attraction is weaker than in a solid
  • so the particles slide over each other. That is why a liquid takes the shape of its container but keeps its volume
attractionweakersolidparticles
In a gas
  • the attraction is very weak
  • so the particles move freely and spread apart. That is why a gas fills the whole container
attractionveryweakparticles
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