What is a difference between gas and liquid and solid on a molecular level?

The difference is in the movement in the molecules and their spatial arrangement.Molecules in gaseous states have the biggest freedom of movement, which means that they can move freely around. This is mainly due to the fact that intermolecular forces between the molecules are not as strong as in other states. In liquid state the molecules are much closer together due to stronger intermolecular forces and hence their movement is more limited comparing to the gaseous state. In solid state the movement of molecules is most restricted due to very strong intermolecular forces.

MH
Answered by Marko Horatio M. Chemistry tutor

5518 Views

See similar Chemistry IB tutors

Related Chemistry IB answers

All answers ▸

Why a sodium ion has a smaller radius than a sodium atom?


Explain why successive ionization energies of an element increase


Which intermolecular forces do I need to know about and how do they differ in strength?


Define three element properties and explain how they change across the periodic table.


We're here to help

contact us iconContact ustelephone icon+44 (0) 203 773 6020
Facebook logoInstagram logoLinkedIn logo

MyTutor is part of the IXL family of brands:

© 2026 by IXL Learning