Which statement best describes a liquid?

Which statement best describes a liquid?

• A. Flows and expands to fill the container
• B. Has a definite shape and volume
• C. Takes the shape of its container and has a definite volume
• D. Cannot flow

Answer: (C)

Liquids have a definite volume but take the shape of their container. This happens because the particles in a liquid are close together and can slide past one another, so they flow and conform to the container’s shape, but they don’t expand to fill every space the way gases do. The statement that describes a liquid best is that it takes the shape of its container and has a definite volume. The other ideas describe gases (filling the entire container) or solids (definite shape and volume) or say it cannot flow, which doesn’t fit a liquid.

Liquids have a definite volume but take the shape of their container. This happens because the particles in a liquid are close together and can slide past one another, so they flow and conform to the container’s shape, but they don’t expand to fill every space the way gases do. The statement that describes a liquid best is that it takes the shape of its container and has a definite volume. The other ideas describe gases (filling the entire container) or solids (definite shape and volume) or say it cannot flow, which doesn’t fit a liquid.