Particle Theory & its Limitations Flashcards
All 5 cards in this deck
In the simple model of the three states of matter, how are the particles represented?
As small solid spheres.
Give two limitations of the simple particle model in which particles are solid spheres.
There are no forces shown between the particles, and all particles are shown as solid spheres (molecules are not shown as groups of atoms).
True or false? The simple particle model shows the forces between particles.
False. The model shows no forces, so it cannot explain why energy is needed to change state.
True or false? It is correct to say a single bromine molecule has a boiling point of C.
False. Boiling point is a bulk property; it depends on the intermolecular forces between many molecules.
In terms of particle theory, what happens to the particles when a solid melts?
The particles gain enough energy to overcome the forces holding them in fixed positions, so they can move past one another.