Question

Which of the following can be easily compressed to less volume.
(a) Iron
(b) Water
(c) Air
(d) Wooden piece

answer: (c) air​

Answer 1

Answer:

(c) Air can be easily compressed to less volume.

Explanation:

• The compressibility order of solids, liquids, and gases is gases > liquids > solids, i.e., gases are the more compressible than liquids and solids whereas solids are the least compressible.
• This is because the gas molecules are very far apart while the molecules in solids are closely packed together.
• Therefore, it is easy to compress the gas molecules as compared to liquids or solids.
• Hence, the air being a gas is easily compressed.

Explanation for incorrect options:

(a) Iron

• Iron is solid with atomic number 26 and atomic mass 56u.
• Since it is solid, the molecules are closely packed and cannot be compressed easily.

(b) Water

• Water is a liquid formed from two hydrogens and one oxygen atom.
• Liquids lie intermediate in the compressibility order.

(d) Wooden piece

• A wooden piece is solid with closely packed molecules.

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Answer 2

Answer:

The air can be easily compressed to less volume.

Explanation:

• The term "compressibility" refers to the amount that a given volume of a substance, whether solid, liquid, or gas, compresses when subjected to pressure.
• The degree of compressibility of a substance is determined by the intermolecular space between its particles.
• The greater space between the particles, the less tightly packed the material is, and the more likely it is to compress.
• When compared to liquid and solid, the intermolecular gap between the particles of a gas is much larger because the particles in a gas molecule are loosely packed.
• There is a significant quantity of empty space between the particles, which makes up the majority of the gas' volume.
• As a result, when pressure is applied, gases are compressed more readily than solids and liquids.

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