Verified Solution Science Particulate Nature of Matter

A student claims that when a solid melts, the particles expand in size, causing the volume to increase. Is this statement correct? Justify your answer.

4 views 0 helpful Updated Jul 10, 2026
Solution ✔ Verified
Answer

This statement is incorrect. When a solid melts, the particles themselves do not expand in size. Instead, they gain enough kinetic energy to overcome the strong intermolecular forces, allowing them to move more freely and occupy a slightly larger average volume due to increased spacing between them, leading to an overall increase in the substance's volume. The size of individual particles remains unchanged.

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