Question

Give reasons for the following:
(A) sponge is a solid but can be easily compressed.
(B) Clothes dry faster on windy days.
(C) Smell of perfume travels a few yards away.

Answer 1

Hint:state of matter is a distinct form in which matter can exist.There are three states of matter namely; solid, liquid, and gas.these shapes are interconvertible into one another by varying Temperature,Pressure ,Volume. The basis of their categorization is their different characteristics like ability to flow, volume, shape, etc.

Complete solution:
a) A sponge is solid because it possesses a definite volume and shape. There is no change in its volume and shape unless an external force is applied to it. Although the sponge is solid it can be compressed because it consists of minute holes called pores which contain air in it. When an external force is applied to it, the air in the pores get expelled out and it gets compressed easily.

b) Clothes dry because the water of the clothes gets evaporated. Also, the wind is a factor that promotes the process of evaporation. So, on a windy day, the rate of evaporation increases, and the clothes dry faster.

c)The smell of the perfume travels a few yards away because of the phenomenon of diffusion. Diffusion refers to the movement of molecules to the low concentration region from the high concentration region. When sprayed the gaseous particles of the perfume travel to occupy the maximum space and consequently the smell gets diffused into the surrounding.

Note:Thus, different phenomenons like evaporation, diffusion, etc. are responsible for the various activities that we observe in our day to day life. Gases are that state of matter which can travel faster in any medium.while liquids can change take the shape of the container in which they are placed.Solids do not change the shape and volume.