Given below are two statements : 

Statement (I) : Viscosity of gases is greater than that of liquids. 

Statement (II) : Surface tension of a liquid decreases due to the presence of insoluble impurities. In the light of the above statements, choose the most appropriate answer from the options given below :

Viscosity of gases is not greater than that of liquids; in fact, liquids generally exhibit much higher viscosities than gases. For example, the viscosity of water at 20 °C is approximately $$1 \times 10^{-3}$$ Pa·s, while the viscosity of air at 20 °C is approximately $$1.8 \times 10^{-5}$$ Pa·s, which is about fifty times smaller. This difference arises because in liquids, viscosity is governed by strong intermolecular cohesive forces, whereas in gases it results from momentum transfer between molecular layers; the cohesive forces in liquids are far stronger, leading to higher viscosity.

Insoluble impurities such as dust particles, powders, or oils that spread on the surface of a liquid reduce the cohesive forces between the liquid molecules at the interface, thereby lowering its surface tension. For instance, camphor particles on water demonstrate this effect by decreasing the water’s surface tension.

The correct answer is Option (2): Statement I is incorrect but Statement II is correct.