Which term best describes a substance with a boiling point greater than 68°F?

Which term best describes a substance with a boiling point greater than 68°F?

• A. Gas
• B. Solid
• C. Liquid
• D. Vapor

Answer: (C)

A substance’s boiling point is the temperature at which it changes from a liquid to a gas. If that temperature is higher than 68°F, it won’t boil away into a gas at normal room conditions. Under those conditions, the most typical state you’d expect to encounter is a liquid, not a gas or a vapor. A gas would require the substance to boil at or below room temperature, and a vapor describes the gaseous form of something that is usually a liquid or solid at room temperature, which isn’t the default scenario here. So the term that best fits is liquid.

A substance’s boiling point is the temperature at which it changes from a liquid to a gas. If that temperature is higher than 68°F, it won’t boil away into a gas at normal room conditions. Under those conditions, the most typical state you’d expect to encounter is a liquid, not a gas or a vapor. A gas would require the substance to boil at or below room temperature, and a vapor describes the gaseous form of something that is usually a liquid or solid at room temperature, which isn’t the default scenario here. So the term that best fits is liquid.