The diagram above illustrates trapped air in a syringe placed in water that is gradually heated. It is observed that the piston rises as the temperature of ...

Answer Details

As the temperature of the water in the syringe increases, the water molecules transfer some of their thermal energy to the trapped air molecules. This causes the air molecules to move faster, collide more frequently, and exert more pressure on the walls of the syringe. The increase in pressure of the trapped air forces the piston to move upwards, against the external atmospheric pressure. Therefore, the correct statement explaining the observation is "molecules of trapped air expands more".