Question

Use your descriptions from Problem 1.2 to identify the physical state (at room temperature) of the following: (a) the air in your room; (b) tablets in a bottle of vitamins; (c) sugar in a packet.

Answer 1

Solution

a) The air in a room occupies the entire room so we can conclude that it is a 

$\text{gas.}$

$\text{b) }$Tablets in a bottle of vitamins are 

$\text{solids}$. There is a lot of space between them and they individually maintain their original shape when put in the bottle. When we take some of them out, the rest of them do not fill the free space (as gases would).

c) Sugar in a package is 

$\text{solid}$. There is some space between each grain of sugar and it does not conform to the shape of the container.

Therefore, 

$\text{a)}$ The air is gas.

$\text{b)}$Tablets are solid.

$\text{c)}$ Sugar is solid.