PHYSICS O - LEVEL PAST PAPER QUESTIONS

TOPIC-6 Kinetic Theory

PAPER-1 Multiple Choice

1- Assuming the temperature remains constant, which combination correctly describes the volume
and the shape of a gas or liquid?

gas or liquid volume shape

A gas fixed not fixed
B gas not fixed not fixed
C liquid fixed fixed
D liquid not fixed fixed
[Nov-2003]

2-A liquid is heated.Which statement is incorrect?

A The molecules expand. B The molecules gain energy.
C The molecules move further apart. D The molecules move faster. [May-2007]

3- A substance consists of particles that are close together and moving past each other at
random. The average speed of the particles is gradually increasing.
What best describes the substance?
A a liquid being boiled to form a gas
B a liquid being heated
C a solid being heated
D a solid being melted to form a liquid [May-2004]

4- A student has three sealed plastic bags. One bag is full of gas, one of liquid and one of solid.

The student squeezes each bag to see if it changes shape, and warms each bag to see if it
expands.Which bag contains gas?
A the one that changes shape easily and expands the least when heated
B the one that changes shape easily and expands the most when heated
C the one that is fixed in shape and expands the least when heated
D the one that is fixed in shape and expands the most when heated [Nov-2004]

5- What is a property of both liquids and gases?

A They always fill their containers. B They are incompressible.
C They can flow. D They have molecules in fixed positions.
[Nov-2006]

6- What describes the molecular structure of a liquid?

distance between motion of the strength of forces

 PHYSICS O - LEVEL PAST PAPER QUESTIONS
TOPIC-6 Kinetic Theory

the molecules molecules between the molecules

A close together stationary very strong
B close together random fairly strong
C far apart stationary fairly strong
D far apart random weak
[May-2007]

7- Which graph shows the relationship between the pressure and volume of a fixed mass of gas at
constant temperature? [Nov-2003]

8- A gas cylinder is left outside on a sunny day. The Sun heats the gas inside the cylinder.What happens to the gas
molecules?
A- They collide less often. B - They expand.
C - They move closer together. D - They move more rapidly.

9- Some air is trapped inside a small balloon. The average kinetic energy of the air molecules in the balloon is
increased. What remains the same?
A the density of the air in the balloon B the mass of the air in the balloon
C the temperature of the air in the balloon D the volume of the air in the balloon

10- Which of the following correctly compares the forces between the molecules in steam, water and
ice?
weakest forces ------------------- strongest forces
A ice steam water
B ice water steam
C steam water ice
D water steam ice

11- A quantity of gas is trapped in a container by a piston exerting a force F. The temperature of the gas is
raised while F remains unchanged.

Which statement is correct?

A The gas expands. B The molecules get larger.
C The piston remains in the same place. D The speed of the molecules decreases. [Nov-2009]
 PHYSICS O - LEVEL PAST PAPER QUESTIONS
TOPIC-6 Kinetic Theory

PAPER-2 Theory

1- Fig. 7.1 shows a syringe that contains gas at the same pressure as the air outside. The
piston moves freely along the cylinder without any friction. No gas escapes.

As the syringe is heated from 20 °C to 100 °C, the piston moves outwards. It stops moving
when the temperature is steady. State how the value of each of the following quantities
compares at 100 °C, after the piston stops, with its value at 20 °C.
For each quantity you should write greater, the same or less.

the average distance between the gas molecules

the pressure of the gas after the piston stops
the average speed of the gas molecules
the frequency of the collisions between the gas molecules and the piston
[Nov-2002]

2- A thin-walled plastic bottle is sealed and contains dry air at atmospheric pressure.(a) Explain how the
molecules of air inside the bottle exert a pressure on the walls.
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(b) Ice is placed inside the bottle, and the bottle is then sealed again. The temperature of the air inside the
bottle falls and the bottle becomes partially crushed. Explain, in terms of the molecules of air inside and
outside the bottle, why this happens.
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......................................................................................................................................... [Nov-2003]

3-Fig. 3.1 shows a weather balloon. The balloon is shown partly filled with gas from a cylinder.
 PHYSICS O - LEVEL PAST PAPER QUESTIONS
TOPIC-6 Kinetic Theory

The balloon contains no gas initially. When it is connected to the cylinder, gas enters the balloon. The
pressure in the cylinder decreases.
(a) Explain why the molecules inside the cylinder
(i) exert a large pressure initially,
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(ii) exert a smaller pressure in the cylinder when the balloon is filled.
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(b) The volume of the cylinder is 0.0020m3. The pressure inside the cylinder is initially 200 atmospheres.
When the cylinder is connected to the balloon, the final pressure in the cylinder and the balloon is 1.0
atmosphere.
The temperature of the gas remains constant.Calculate the final volume of gas in the balloon. State the
equation that you use.
volume = .....................

[May-2005]

PAPER-4 Alternative to Practical