Misconception 1: "Steam is hotter than boiling water because it's a gas"
This is wrong. Steam at 100 °C and boiling water at 100 °C are at the same temperature — they have the same average kinetic energy. Steam does have more total energy, but this is stored as potential energy from breaking forces of attraction during boiling, not as kinetic energy. Temperature reflects kinetic energy, not the state of matter.
Misconception 2: "Temperature rises throughout heating — including during melting and boiling"
No. During melting and boiling, temperature stays constant. The energy supplied is used to break forces of attraction between particles, not to speed them up. The heating curve has flat plateaus precisely at these temperatures.
Misconception 3: "A liquid has no fixed volume because it takes the shape of its container"
Wrong. A liquid has a fixed volume but no fixed shape. The particles are still touching, so the volume stays constant — it just reshapes to fill the container from the bottom up. Only a gas fills the whole container and has no fixed volume.
This common misconceptions covers Common Misconceptions within States of Matter for GCSE Chemistry. Revise States of Matter in Atomic Structure for GCSE Chemistry with 12 exam-style questions and 10 flashcards. This is a high-frequency topic, so it is worth revising until the explanation feels precise and repeatable. It is section 9 of 13 in this topic. Use this common misconceptions to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.
Practice questions for States of Matter
Which of the following best describes the arrangement of particles in a solid?
A heating curve shows a flat section (plateau) when a solid is being heated to become a liquid. Explain why the temperature does not rise during this flat section. [3 marks]