It was observed that the particles of an unknown substance slide past one another. What is the state of matter of the substance? Solid Liquid Gas Plasma

Breakdown the Problem

1. We need to determine the state of matter of a substance based on the observation that its particles can slide past one another.

Relevant Concepts

2. The states of matter are distinguished by the arrangement and behavior of their particles:
   • Solid: Particles are tightly packed and vibrate in place, unable to slide past each other.
   • Liquid: Particles are close together but can slide past one another, allowing liquids to flow.
   • Gas: Particles are far apart and move freely, filling the container they are in.
   • Plasma: An ionized state of matter with free-moving charged particles, typically found at high temperatures.

Analysis and Detail

3. Since the particles of the unknown substance are observed to slide past one another, this characteristic indicates that the particles are not in a fixed position as they would be in a solid. Instead, this behavior is typical of a liquid, where the particles are more loosely arranged compared to solids, allowing them to flow.

Verify and Summarize

4. Given that the particles can slide past one another, we conclude that this is consistent with the behavior of liquids. Therefore, we can eliminate solid, gas, and plasma as possible states.

Final Answer

The state of matter of the substance is Liquid.