GCSEPhysics: Combined ScienceEdexcelTopic Questions12. Particle Model12.2 Particle Model & Pressure

Particle Model & Pressure (Edexcel GCSE Physics: Combined Science)

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1a1 mark

Figure 1 shows air inside a cylinder with a movable piston.


fig-1-paper2h-june2018-edexcel-gcse-physicsFigure 1

The piston is pulled a little way in the direction of the arrow, but stays inside the cylinder.

Which of these increases?

  

        ☐ A The mass of the air inside the cylinder.
        ☐ B The rate at which air particles collide with the walls of the cylinder.
        ☐ C The volume of the air inside the cylinder.
        ☐ D The pressure of the air inside the cylinder.

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1b6 marks
Figure 2 shows a rubber tube that can be used inside a bicycle tyre.

The tube is inflated with a bicycle pump.

fig-2-paper2h-june2018-edexcel-gcse-physics
Figure 2

(i)
The air inside the tube exerts an outward force on the wall of the tube.
    
State the angle that this outward force makes with the wall of the tube.

[1]

(ii)
It takes 4.8 litres of air from the atmosphere to inflate the empty tube to a pressure of 400 000 Pa.
  
Atmospheric pressure is 100 000 Pa.
   
Calculate the volume of air inside the tube.
   
Assume the temperature of the air inside the tube is the same as the temperature of the air outside the tube.
   
Use an equation selected from the list of equations at the end of this paper.

[3]

volume = ............................................... litres

(iii)
When a bicycle pump is used to inflate the tube, the air in the bicycle pump gets warm.

You should ignore any effects of friction in the pump.

Explain why the air in the bicycle pump gets warm.
[2]

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2a2 marks

Figure 1 shows some gas particles in a container.

The piston can be moved in or out to change the volume of the gas. The temperature remains constant. 

3-3-e-3a-piston

Figure 1

Add arrows to the diagram to show the motion of the gas particles.

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2b3 marks

Explain how the motion of the gas particles produces a pressure inside the container. 

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2c1 mark

State what would happen to the pressure if you pushed the piston into the container without changing the temperature.

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3a1 mark

The particles of a gas exert pressure on the walls of a container.

Which of the following rows correctly describes the relationship between pressure and the number of particle collisions with the walls of the container every second?

  pressure number of collisions with the walls of the container every second
A increases stays the same
B increases increases
C decreases stays the same
D decreases increases

Choose your answer

3b1 mark

A digital thermometer gives a temperature reading of 19 °C.

Convert this temperature to kelvin.

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3c3 marks

A small container contains helium gas at high pressure. It comes with a label stating the pressure and volume of the helium gas inside.

5-3-4c-e-helium-gas-container-sq-igcse

The helium gas from one small container is pumped into a large balloon which fills a final volume of 2200 cm3.

(i)
State the equation linking the initial pressure, initial volume, final pressure and final volume of a gas.

[1]

(ii)
Calculate the final pressure of the gas in the large balloon.
[2]
 
final pressure = .............................. MPa

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1a5 marks
Figure 4 shows a small piece of copper about 3 cm high.

fig-4-paper2h-june2020-edexcel-gcse-physics

Figure 4

A student wants to determine the density of copper.

The student uses a balance to measure the mass of the piece of copper.

i)
Explain how the student could measure the volume of the piece of copper.
[3]
ii)
The mass of the piece of copper is 0.058 kg.

The volume of the piece of copper is 6.5 × 10–6 m3.

Calculate the density of copper.

[2]

density of copper = .............................................................. kg/m3

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1b4 marks
A student wants to determine the specific heat capacity of copper.


Figure 5 shows a piece of copper, with a thread tied around it, in a glass beaker of boiling water.

fig-5-paper2h-june2020-edexcel-gcse-physics

Figure 5

The student leaves the piece of copper in the boiling water so that the copper reaches a temperature of 100°C.

The student uses the thread to take the piece of copper out of the boiling water.

The student puts the hot piece of copper into a different beaker of cold water at 20°C.

The apparatus is shown in Figure 6.

fig-6-paper2h-june2020-edexcel-gcse-physics

Figure 6

The student assumes that the thermal energy gained by the water equals the thermal energy lost by the piece of copper.

The water and copper both reach a temperature of 22°C.

The cold water gains 1050 J of energy.

The mass of the piece of copper is 0.058 kg.

i)
Calculate a value for the specific heat capacity of copper, using these results.

Use the equation


change in thermal energy = mass × specific heat capacity × change in temperature

ΔQ = m × c × Δθ

[2]

specific heat capacity of copper from these results = ................................ J/kg °C

ii)
The value for the specific heat capacity of copper obtained from the student’s results is lower than the correct value.

State two ways that the experiment could be improved to give a value that is closer to the correct value.

[2]

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21 mark
When the pressure in a container of gas increases, the particles of the gas



  ☐ A hit the sides of the container less often
  ☐ B hit the sides of the container more often
  ☐ C move with lower speeds
  ☐ D vibrate more energetically about fixed positions

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36 marks
A container is sealed so that the mass of the gas inside cannot change.
The volume of the gas is changed and the pressure is measured at different volumes.
The temperature of the gas does not change.
Figure 18 is a graph of the results.

fig-18-paper2f-june2020-edexcel-gcse-physics

Figure 18

Explain, in terms of the movement of particles, why there is a pressure on the container and why the pressure changes as shown in Figure 18.

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1a2 marks

Figure 1 shows some gas particles in a container with a piston which can be moved in or out to change the volume of the gas. 

14-2-m-2a-syringe-pressure

Figure 1

Add arrows to the diagram to show the random motion of the gas particles. 

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1b3 marks

Explain how the movement of the particles of gas produces pressure inside the container. 

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1c3 marks

When the gas in the container is heated, the piston moves outwards.

Describe what happens to the gas particles.

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24 marks
Use words from the box to complete the following sentences about kinetic theory.
 

low high molecules temperature outsides
medium ions pressure volume sides
 

Molecules in a gas are in constant random motion at ............... speeds.

Random motion means that the molecules do not travel in a specific path and undergo sudden changes in their motion if they collide with the ............... of its container or with other ................. .

The ................ of the gas is related to the average kinetic energy of the molecules.

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32 marks
A decision is made to investigate the link between temperature and the size of the balloon.

The researcher writes a plan for this experiment:

I will change the temperature of the balloon by putting it into a freezer.

To get a range of different temperatures I will put the balloon into the freezer for different times.

I will measure the temperature of the balloon using a thermometer.

To measure the size of the balloon I will take it out of the freezer and line it up next to a ruler.

To make sure it is a fair test I will repeat the experiment three times.

I will plot a graph of size against temperature.


There are several flaws in the plan.

Identify one of these faults and suggest an improvement to correct it.

(2)

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4a5 marks
Figure 1 shows a fixed mass of gas inside a cylinder with a movable piston.

fig-1-paper2f-june2018-edexcel-gcse-physicsFigure 1

                                                                      

(i)
Describe, in terms of gas particles, how the gas exerts a pressure on the cylinder.
[3]

(ii)
Figure 2 shows the same gas squashed into a smaller volume.

fig-2-paper2f-june2018-edexcel-gcse-physics

Figure 2

State what happens to the pressure the gas exerts on the cylinder when the volume of gas is reduced, as in Figure 2.

[1]

(iii)
State what happens to the gas particles when the volume of the gas is reduced, as in Figure 2.
[1]

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4b1 mark
A digital thermometer gives a temperature reading of 23°C.

Calculate the value of this temperature in kelvin.

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