What characteristic do liquids possess regarding their volume and shape?

Liquids have a definite volume but an indefinite shape. This means that while the amount of space a liquid occupies is fixed and does not change (definite volume), it can take the shape of the container it is in (indefinite shape). This characteristic arises because the particles in a liquid are close together, maintaining a fixed volume, but they can move around each other freely, allowing the liquid to flow and conform to the shape of its container.

In contrast, solids maintain both a definite volume and a definite shape due to their tightly packed particles that are not free to move around. Gases, on the other hand, have neither a definite volume nor a definite shape because their particles are much farther apart and can fill any available space. The concept of definite volume and indefinite shape is a fundamental property of liquids, distinguishing them from solids and gases.