How do solids, liquids and gases differ in shape and volume?

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Detailed Solution

Solids have fixed shape and fixed volume, liquids have no fixed shape but fixed volume, and gases have neither fixed shape nor fixed volume.

Property	Solids	Liquids	Gases
Shape	Fixed (rigid)	Takes shape of container	Fills entire container
Volume	Fixed	Fixed (nearly incompressible)	No fixed volume (highly compressible)
Particle arrangement	Closely packed, orderly	Close but can slide	Far apart, free to move
Compressibility	Very low	Low	High
Diffusion	Very slow	Moderate	Fast

In solids, particles are tightly packed and only vibrate, so shape and volume are fixed. In liquids, particles are close but can move past each other, so volume stays the same but shape changes. In gases, particles are far apart and move freely, so gases expand to any shape and volume available.

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