Why do gases have neither a fixed shape nor a fixed volume? Answer in short
The Correct Answer and Explanation is:
Correct Answer (Short):
Gases have neither a fixed shape nor a fixed volume because their particles move freely and spread out to fill any container.
Explanation:
Gases differ from solids and liquids in how their particles are arranged and how they behave. In a gas, the particles are far apart and move in all directions with high energy. This motion allows gas particles to spread out and occupy the entire space available to them.
Because gas particles are not closely packed and there are very weak forces between them, a gas does not have a fixed shape. Instead, it takes the shape of its container. For example, if a gas is placed in a round container, it will fill the round shape. If it is placed in a square container, it will spread out to fill that shape.
In addition to shape, gases also do not have a fixed volume. The volume of a gas changes based on the size of the container it is in. If a gas is placed in a large container, the particles move to fill the larger space. If the container is compressed, the gas particles are forced closer together, and the volume decreases. This is why gases can be compressed more easily than liquids or solids.
Temperature and pressure also affect gases significantly. When the temperature increases, gas particles move faster and spread out even more. When pressure increases, the particles are forced closer together, reducing the volume they occupy.
This freedom of movement and the large amount of space between particles make gases highly expandable and compressible. These properties explain why gases have neither a definite shape nor a definite volume. Their behavior is described by gas laws such as Boyle’s law and Charles’s law, which show how gases respond to changes in pressure, volume, and temperature.
