Which of the following states of matter is most likely to fill the entire volume of its container?

Gases are unique among the states of matter due to their molecular arrangement and behavior. In a gas, the particles are far apart and move freely at high speeds in all directions. This allows gas to occupy the entire volume of its container regardless of the shape or size. When a gas is placed in a container, the particles will spread out evenly throughout the available space to fill it completely. This characteristic is a direct result of the low intermolecular forces present in gases, which enables their particles to overcome the attractive forces and move independently.

In contrast, solids have tightly packed particles that vibrate in place, giving them a fixed shape and volume, while liquids have particles that are close together but can flow, allowing them to take the shape of their container but not fill the whole volume unless the container is also full. Plasma, while capable of filling a volume like gas, is typically found in specific conditions such as in stars or neon lights and is not as commonly encountered in everyday scenarios compared to gases.

Thus, gases are the state of matter most likely to fill the entire volume of their container due to their properties.