States of Matter Quiz. States of matter are fundamental concepts in chemistry that describe how substances exist in different forms such as solids, liquids, and gases. Understanding the behavior of particles in these states is essential for solving problems and answering examination questions. This quiz is designed to test your knowledge of the properties, changes, and behaviors of solids, liquids, and gases.
States of Matter Quiz: Solids, Liquids, and Gases
1. Which property distinguishes a solid from a liquid?
A. Solids have definite shape while liquids take the shape of their container
B. Solids flow easily while liquids are rigid
C. Solids expand significantly on heating while liquids do not
D. Solids have lower density than liquids
2. What happens to the particles in a liquid when it freezes?
A. They move faster and spread apart
B. They slow down and form a fixed structure
C. They escape into the air
D. They collide more frequently without changing position
3. Which of the following statements about gases is correct?
A. Gas particles are closely packed and vibrate in place
B. Gas particles move freely and fill any container
C. Gas has definite volume and shape
D. Gas particles have negligible kinetic energy
4. Why does a liquid have definite volume but not definite shape?
A. Because its particles are fixed and rigid
B. Because its particles are close but can slide past each other
C. Because its particles are far apart and move randomly
D. Because it has low density
5. Which of the following is an example of sublimation?
A. Ice melting to water
B. Iodine crystals turning directly into gas
C. Water boiling to steam
D. Condensation of water vapour
States of Matter Quiz
6. What property of solids explains why they are incompressible?
A. Particles are closely packed and cannot be pushed closer
B. Particles have high kinetic energy
C. Particles flow past each other easily
D. Solids have low mass
7. Which change of state absorbs energy from the surroundings?
A. Freezing
B. Condensation
C. Melting
D. Deposition
8. Which of these is true about the kinetic energy of particles in solids, liquids, and gases?
A. Solids > Liquids > Gases
B. Gases > Liquids > Solids
C. Liquids > Gases > Solids
D. All states have equal kinetic energy
9. When a gas is compressed, what happens to the particles?
A. They move slower and spread apart
B. They move closer together and collide more frequently
C. They stop moving
D. They change into liquid immediately
10. Which statement best describes a liquid at its boiling point?
A. Particles have stopped moving completely
B. Particles have enough energy to overcome intermolecular forces and form gas
C. Particles are tightly fixed in position
D. The liquid has a lower density than the gas
States of Matter Quiz
11. What happens to the volume of a gas when it is heated at constant pressure?
A. It decreases
B. It remains the same
C. It increases
D. It becomes zero
12. Which process releases energy to the surroundings?
A. Melting
B. Evaporation
C. Freezing
D. Sublimation
13. Which of the following has the highest particle movement?
A. Solid
B. Liquid
C. Gas
D. Plasma
14. Which of these explains why gases exert pressure on the walls of their container?
A. Particles attract each other strongly
B. Particles move randomly and collide with walls
C. Particles are stationary
D. Particles dissolve in the container
15. Which of the following best describes a liquid with high viscosity?
A. Flows easily like water
B. Flows slowly like honey
C. Flows at the same rate as gas
D. Cannot flow at all
16. When ice at 0°C melts, what happens to the temperature of the ice-water mixture?
A. It increases gradually
B. It decreases gradually
C. It remains constant until all ice melts
D. It fluctuates unpredictably
17. What is the main reason why solids have fixed shapes?
A. Strong gravitational pull
B. Strong intermolecular forces holding particles in place
C. High kinetic energy
D. Solids are heavier than liquids
18. During condensation, which of the following occurs?
A. Gas particles gain energy and move faster
B. Gas particles lose energy and form liquid
C. Liquid particles gain energy and form gas
D. Solid particles directly change to gas
19. Which factor primarily affects the rate of evaporation of a liquid?
A. Surface area, temperature, and air movement
B. Colour of the liquid
C. Volume of container only
D. Mass of the liquid
20. Which statement about plasma is correct?
A. Plasma has fixed volume and shape
B. Plasma consists of ionized particles with high energy
C. Plasma behaves exactly like a solid
D. Plasma is a cold and low-energy state
States of Matter Quiz
21. Which state of matter has particles arranged randomly but still touching each other?
A. Solid
B. Liquid
C. Gas
D. Plasma
22. Which of the following occurs when a solid is heated and becomes liquid?
A. Freezing
B. Melting
C. Sublimation
D. Condensation
23. What happens to the pressure of a gas if the volume is halved at constant temperature?
A. Pressure doubles
B. Pressure halves
C. Pressure remains the same
D. Pressure becomes zero
24. Which state of matter expands most when heated?
A. Solid
B. Liquid
C. Gas
D. Plasma
25. Which of the following is an example of deposition?
A. Water boiling into steam
B. Water vapour forming frost on a cold surface
C. Ice melting to water
D. Sugar dissolving in water
States of Matter Quiz Answers and explanations
1. Answer: A
Explanation: Solids maintain a fixed shape because their particles are closely packed, while liquids take the shape of the container.
2. Answer: B
Explanation: When a liquid freezes, particles lose energy, slow down, and arrange into a fixed structure forming a solid.
3. Answer: B
Explanation: Gas particles move freely in all directions and fill the container they occupy.
4. Answer: B
Explanation: Liquid particles are close together but can slide past each other, giving liquids definite volume but no fixed shape.
5. Answer: B
Explanation: Sublimation is when a solid changes directly into a gas without passing through the liquid state, such as iodine crystals.
6. Answer: A
Explanation: Solids are incompressible because their particles are tightly packed and cannot be pushed closer.
7. Answer: C
Explanation: Melting absorbs energy to overcome forces between particles, converting solid to liquid.
8. Answer: B
Explanation: Kinetic energy is highest in gases, intermediate in liquids, and lowest in solids.
9. Answer: B
Explanation: Compressing a gas reduces particle spacing, increasing collisions and pressure.
10. Answer: B
Explanation: At boiling point, particles have enough energy to escape intermolecular forces and form gas.
11. Answer: C
Explanation: Heating a gas at constant pressure increases kinetic energy, causing expansion.
12. Answer: C
Explanation: Freezing releases energy as particles form fixed positions in a solid.
13. Answer: C
Explanation: Gas particles move faster than liquids and solids due to higher kinetic energy.
14. Answer: B
Explanation: Gas particles move randomly and collide with container walls, creating pressure.
15. Answer: B
Explanation: Liquids with high viscosity flow slowly because particles resist movement past each other.
16. Answer: C
Explanation: During melting, temperature remains constant until all the solid has changed to liquid.
17. Answer: B
Explanation: Solids have strong intermolecular forces that hold particles in fixed positions.
18. Answer: B
Explanation: Condensation occurs when gas particles lose energy and transition to a liquid.
19. Answer: A
Explanation: Evaporation is faster with larger surface area, higher temperature, and more air movement.
20. Answer: B
Explanation: Plasma consists of high-energy ionized particles, often found in stars and lightning.
21. Answer: B
Explanation: Liquids have particles touching each other but arranged randomly, allowing flow.
22. Answer: B
Explanation: Melting is the process of a solid gaining energy to become a liquid.
23. Answer: A
Explanation: According to Boyle’s Law, halving volume at constant temperature doubles gas pressure.
24. Answer: C
Explanation: Gases expand the most when heated due to weak intermolecular forces and high particle mobility.
25. Answer: B
Explanation: Deposition is the direct change of gas to solid, such as frost forming from water vapour.
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