Original Project
Atoms, Molecules, and States of Matter
Item AM035004: When a piece of solid wax is heated, it becomes a liquid and the wax molecules become more loosely connected to each other.
A piece of solid wax is placed in a pan and heated on a stove. After a while, the solid wax becomes a liquid. Which one of the following explains why the wax becomes a liquid?
- Some of the wax molecules get smaller.
- Some of the wax molecules are destroyed.
- The wax molecules change into water molecules.
- The wax molecules are more loosely connected to each other.
Answer Choice |
Overall |
Grades |
Gender |
Primary Language |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| n = 2913 |
6–8 n = 1800 |
9–12 n = 1105 |
Male n = 1391 |
Female n = 1484 |
English n = 2590 |
Other n = 291 |
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| A. | Some of the wax molecules get smaller. | 12% | 12% | 11% | 13% | 11% | 11% | 16% |
| B. | Some of the wax molecules are destroyed. | 13% | 15% | 10% | 13% | 13% | 12% | 19% |
| C. | The wax molecules change into water molecules. | 21% | 25% | 14% | 20% | 21% | 20% | 32% |
| D. | The wax molecules are more loosely connected to each other. | 54% | 48% | 65% | 53% | 55% | 57% | 33% |