12. Sharma filled a syringe with matter \( \boldsymbol{X} \) and sealed its opening. When she tried to push th plunger, it went down without much effort. Matter \( \boldsymbol{X} \) can be a. water b. oil c. clay d. gas

Matter \( \boldsymbol{X} \) is most likely a gas. Gases are much less dense than liquids or solids, allowing the plunger to move down easily due to the low resistance they present. This means that the syringe can be compressed without much force, indicating that a gas is likely present in the cylinder. If it were water or oil, which are both liquids, the plunger would encounter significant resistance due to the incompressible nature of liquids. Clay, being a solid, would not allow for any movement of the plunger at all unless force is applied, which would be much more than "without much effort." So the clear choice here is gas!