Explain why gases condense when they are cooled.

When gases are cooled, their particles lose energy and move more slowly. This reduction in kinetic energy leads to decreased collisions and less forceful impacts between gas molecules. As the temperature drops, the average kinetic energy of the gas particles decreases.

In a gas, particles are typically far apart and have enough energy to overcome the attractive forces between them. However, as cooling occurs, the weakened kinetic energy allows intermolecular forces (such as van der Waals forces or dipole-dipole interactions) to play a more significant role.

Eventually, at a certain temperature called the condensation point, the attractive forces become strong enough to pull the gas particles closer together, causing them to condense into a denser state, transitioning from a gaseous phase to a liquid phase. This process is why gases condense when cooled.