Why can a gas be squashed easily?

Gases can be compressed easily because the molecules in a gas are far apart and have a lot of space to move around. When pressure is applied to a gas, the molecules are forced closer together, and the gas takes up less space. This is because the molecules in a gas are not strongly attracted to each other, so they can move around easily and fill any available space.

In contrast, liquids and solids are difficult to compress because the molecules in these states are more closely packed together and have less space to move around. When pressure is applied to a liquid or solid, the molecules are forced closer together, but they cannot move around as easily as they can in a gas. This is because the molecules in liquids and solids are more strongly attracted to each other, so they resist being forced closer together.