Liquids are described as which of the following regarding their particle arrangement and compressibility?

• A. Liquid particles are far apart and easily compressed.
• B. Liquid particles have a fixed position and vibrate.
• C. Liquid particles are close together, have a fixed volume and can be compressed only slightly.
• D. Liquid particles are arranged in a rigid crystal lattice.

Answer: (C)

Liquids have particles that are densely packed, giving a definite volume, but they are not fixed in place and can flow past one another. This means the arrangement isn’t a rigid lattice like in a solid, yet there isn’t enough empty space to compress the liquid easily, so compressibility is only slight. The description that best matches this is: particles are close together, have a fixed volume, and can be compressed only slightly. In contrast, a gas would have particles far apart and easily compressible, a solid would have fixed positions with little or no movement, and a rigid crystal lattice describes a solid’s orderly structure.