Gases
Air, helium and chlorine are gases at room temperature. Water vapour is water as a gas. The particleA general term for a small piece of matter. For example, protons, neutrons, electrons, atoms, ions or molecules. in a gas are:
- far apart
- arranged in a random way
Particles in a gas
The particles in a gas can:
- move quickly in all directions
The attractive forces between the particles in a gas are very weak, so the particles are free to move in any direction.
The table shows some of the properties of gases and why they are like this:
| Property | Reason |
| They flow and completely fill their container | The particles can move quickly in all directions |
| They can be compressed (squashed) | The particles are far apart and have space to move into |
| Property | They flow and completely fill their container |
|---|---|
| Reason | The particles can move quickly in all directions |
| Property | They can be compressed (squashed) |
|---|---|
| Reason | The particles are far apart and have space to move into |