Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS) Science Practice Test

The correct choice states that the gas phase has weaker intermolecular attractions compared to the liquid phase and exists at higher temperatures.

In the gas phase, the molecules are much farther apart than in the liquid phase, which leads to weaker intermolecular forces. These forces in liquids—such as dipole-dipole interactions, hydrogen bonds, and London dispersion forces—are stronger than those present between gas molecules. As a result, gas molecules behave more independently and have more kinetic energy, allowing them to move freely and fill the container they occupy.

Furthermore, gases are typically found at higher temperatures compared to their liquid counterparts. This is because increasing temperature corresponds to an increase in kinetic energy, which can overcome intermolecular attractions, allowing the substance to transition from a liquid to a gas. Thus, as a substance changes from a liquid to a gas, it experiences both reduced intermolecular forces and typically higher temperatures in the gas phase, which aligns with the choice provided.