A substance occupies one half of an open container. The atoms of the substance are closely packed but are still able to slide past each other. What is most likely the phase of the substance? gas liquid solid and gas liquid and solid

## Step 1<br />The problem describes a substance that occupies half of an open container and has atoms that are closely packed but can still slide past each other. This description is indicative of a phase of matter.<br /><br />## Step 2<br />The first part of the description, "The substance occupies one half of an open container", suggests that the substance is not a gas. Gases tend to fill their entire container, not just half of it.<br /><br />## Step 3<br />The second part of the description, "The atoms of the substance are closely packed but are still able to slide past each other", is a key characteristic of liquids. In a liquid, the atoms or molecules are closely packed, but they are not as tightly bound as in a solid. This allows them to slide past each other, which is not the case in a solid.<br /><br />## Step 4<br />The description does not suggest that the substance is a solid and gas mixture. The ability to slide past each other is a characteristic of liquids, not solids.