Question map
Which one among the following would expand the most on being heated?
Explanation
Thermal expansion is the tendency of matter to change its shape, area, and volume in response to a change in temperature. Among the states of matter, gases expand the most upon heating because their intermolecular forces are the weakest and the particles have the highest thermal energy [1]. While solids like glass have strong interparticle forces and low expansion coefficients, liquids like water and alcohol have higher expansivities than solids. Specifically, alcohol expands more than water, but both are significantly less than gases. Gases exhibit much higher expansion coefficients compared to solids or liquids because their particles are far apart and move freely, leading to dramatic volume increases with temperature changes. Therefore, air (a gas) will expand the most compared to water, alcohol, or glass when subjected to the same increase in temperature.
Sources
- [1] Science ,Class VIII . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 7: Particulate Nature of Matter > Ever heard of ... > p. 112