Which of the following best describes what happens to the atoms in a liquid as it freezes?

• A. The atoms combine to form new chemical compounds.
• B. The atoms break apart into individual ions.
• C. The atoms speed up and move farther apart.
• D. The atoms slow down and arrange themselves into a fixed, orderly structure.

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the physical process of freezing: freezing is the phase change from liquid to solid, where the substance loses thermal energy.
2. Recall that during freezing, atoms or molecules in the liquid slow down because they lose kinetic energy as temperature decreases.
3. Recognize that as the atoms slow down, they come closer together and arrange themselves into a fixed, orderly pattern, forming a solid with a definite structure.
4. Note that freezing does not involve atoms combining into new chemical compounds or breaking apart into ions; it is a physical change, not a chemical change.
5. Conclude that the best description is that atoms slow down and arrange themselves into a fixed, orderly structure as the liquid freezes.