Select the meaning of the underlined word in the following sentence.All volatile liquids should be stored and labeled correctly.
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A
Unstable
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B
Abnormal
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C
Lethal
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D
Blended
Volatile liquids are unstable, evaporating readily at room temperature due to high vapor pressure and low boiling points.
A) Unstable
Unstable precisely captures volatile's physical chemistry meaning: tendency to vaporize rapidly due to weak intermolecular forces. Volatile (volare, "to fly") implies substances that "fly off" as vapor, exactly matching instability in liquid state.
B) Abnormal
Abnormality denotes deviation from norm, statistical outlier status rather than physical property. Volatility is normal for many compounds (alcohol, acetone); abnormality describes rarity, not evaporation tendency.
C) Lethal
Lethality denotes capacity to kill, toxicity rather than physical state change. Volatile substances may be non-toxic (water vapor); lethality and volatility represent independent properties.
D) Blended
Blending denotes mixture creation, combination process unrelated to evaporation tendency. Volatile liquids may be pure or blended; volatility describes inherent property, not mixture status.
Conclusion
Volatile denotes ready evaporation due to weak molecular cohesion, distinct from abnormality, lethality, or blending. Unstable alone captures volatile's essential character in physical chemistry: tendency to transition rapidly from liquid to vapor state at ambient conditions.
Topic Flashcards
Click to FlipIn a personality context, what does it mean if someone is described as having a volatile temper?
It means their mood or anger flares up suddenly and unpredictably.
What is the key physical property of a volatile chemical, like rubbing alcohol?
It evaporates quickly at normal temperatures.
True or False: In finance, a volatile market is one that is steady and predictable.
False. It is one characterized by rapid and significant price swings.
Which word is a synonym for volatile when describing a situation that could suddenly become dangerous?
Explosive or tense.
A scientist must store a __________ solvent in a sealed container to prevent it from turning to vapor and escaping.
volatile