Volatile substances are defined by which characteristic?

Volatile substances are defined by which characteristic?

• A. They have high boiling points.
• B. They give off large amounts of vapor.
• C. They remain stable under all temperatures.
• D. They do not evaporate.

Answer: (B)

Volatility is about how readily a substance becomes vapor. A volatile substance has a strong tendency to vaporize, which shows up as it giving off noticeable vapor or having a high vapor pressure at room temperature. That’s why the defining characteristic is that it gives off large amounts of vapor. The other statements describe properties opposite or unrelated to volatility: a high boiling point means it resists vaporization, not readily forming vapor; being stable under all temperatures would imply it doesn’t react or degrade with temperature changes, but volatility focuses on how easily it becomes vapor, not absolute stability; and not evaporating would describe a non-volatile substance, which is the opposite of volatility.

Volatility is about how readily a substance becomes vapor. A volatile substance has a strong tendency to vaporize, which shows up as it giving off noticeable vapor or having a high vapor pressure at room temperature. That’s why the defining characteristic is that it gives off large amounts of vapor.

The other statements describe properties opposite or unrelated to volatility: a high boiling point means it resists vaporization, not readily forming vapor; being stable under all temperatures would imply it doesn’t react or degrade with temperature changes, but volatility focuses on how easily it becomes vapor, not absolute stability; and not evaporating would describe a non-volatile substance, which is the opposite of volatility.