Chemistry – States of matter - Solids, liquids and gases | e-Consult

Gases are easily compressible because the particles in a gas are widely separated. This large separation means there is a lot of empty space between the particles. When pressure is applied to a gas, the particles are forced closer together. Because of the large spaces between them, this compression significantly reduces the volume of the gas. The greater the separation between the particles, the more compressible the gas is. Conversely, solids and liquids have particles that are much closer together, so they are much less compressible. The intermolecular forces holding the particles together in solids and liquids resist compression.