Do all materials respond to heat in the same way? Which of the following examples best supports your answer?

• A. Yes; all materials expand at the same rate when heated.
• B. No; gases contract when heated, while solids remain unchanged.
• C. No; metals expand when heated, while water increases in temperature but does not expand as much.
• D. Yes; heat causes all materials to melt at the same temperature.

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the concept of thermal expansion, which is the tendency of matter to change in volume in response to a change in temperature. Different materials expand at different rates when heated due to their unique molecular structures and bonding.
2. Step 2: Recognize that solids, liquids, and gases respond differently to heat. For example, metals (solids) typically expand noticeably when heated, while liquids like water also expand but at different rates, and gases generally expand more significantly than solids or liquids.
3. Step 3: Analyze the given options by comparing them to the known behavior of materials under heat. For instance, the statement that all materials expand at the same rate is incorrect because expansion rates vary widely among materials.
4. Step 4: Note that gases do not contract when heated; they usually expand, so the option stating gases contract is incorrect. Also, solids do change with heat, so the claim that solids remain unchanged is false.
5. Step 5: Conclude that the best-supported answer is the one stating that metals expand when heated, while water increases in temperature but does not expand as much, reflecting the real differences in thermal expansion among materials.