What happens to particles when a substance gains energy and changes state?

1 Answer
Xik
Jun 15, 2016

They move faster (gain kinetic energy).

Explanation:

If they are changing from solid to liquid, they will vibrate hard enough to break the rigid intermolecular forces holding them in a regular arrangement. If they are changing from liquid to gas, they will move fast enough to break free from the intermolecular forces attracting them to neighbouring particles and leave the surface of the liquid (evaporate).

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