Kinetic-Molecular Theory of Liquids
According to the Kinetic-Molecular Theory of matter, a substance in the liquid phase is made up of atoms and/or molecules which are close together, but the particles have enough energy that they are no longer bound to their neighbors. The particles still exert forces on each other, but they are not bound together. Thus, the particles in a liquid are able to move around relative to one another.
The KMT of liquids explains why a substance in the liquid state has a definite volume but not a definite shape and why liquids are relatively in-compressible. A liquid has a definite volume because the particles in a liquid stay close together, but a liquid has no definite shape because the particles in a liquid are constantly moving and can move around relative to one another. Liquids are relatively in-compressible because the particles in a liquid are close together and cannot be forced much closer together. |
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