If a liquid has a high vapor pressure, what behavior is expected in a room?

• A. It will evaporate readily.
• B. It will stay liquid.
• C. It will solidify.
• D. It will remain at room temperature.

Answer: (A)

High vapor pressure means the liquid is highly volatile at room temperature, so its molecules readily escape into the air. In a room, that translates to evaporating quickly because many molecules at the surface have enough energy to break free from the liquid. This is tied to a relatively low boiling point—the liquid doesn’t hold onto its molecules tightly at typical room conditions, so it evaporates rather than staying liquid. The idea isn’t that it would somehow stay in liquid form or solidify; those outcomes aren’t driven by high vapor pressure, which primarily indicates a strong tendency to turn into vapor.