Indefinite shape and definite volume correspond to which state of matter?

• A. Solid
• B. Liquid
• C. Gas
• D. Aqueous

Answer: (B)

The idea tested is that liquids have an indefinite shape but a definite volume. In a liquid, molecules are not locked into a rigid structure like in a solid, so they can flow and take the shape of their container, giving it an indefinite shape. Yet the molecules stay packed enough to maintain a specific amount of space, so the volume remains definite. This contrasts with a solid, which has a fixed shape and volume, and a gas, which has neither fixed shape nor fixed volume because the particles are far apart and move freely. The term aqueous describes a substance dissolved in water, which is about mixtures rather than a fundamental state of matter, so it isn’t the correct description here.