Answer
(a) element; liquid
(b) mixture of elements; gases
Work Step by Step
(a) In this diagram, we see an element in the liquid state. We know it is an element that is pictured because it is composed of spheres of a single color. We know that it is a liquid because the spheres are placed in a row, meaning the atoms can slide around; however, the configuration is still a little rigid.
(b) This diagram depicts two elements as represented by the two different colored spheres. They are grouped in twos, which means that the elements are diatomic. The two elements are floating around freely, meaning those elements are in a mixture in the gaseous state.
