MERRYLAND INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL

GRADE 9 - IGCSE - THERMAL PHYSICS -

THEORY
( Simple kinetic molecular model of matter
- Pressure Changes - Gas laws)

1. Complete the following statements by writing appropriate words in the spaces. The

pressure of a gas in a sealed container is caused by the collisions of

...................................... with the container wall.

An increase in the temperature of the gas increases the pressure because the

...................................... of the ...................................... increases.

The force on the wall due to the gas is the pressure multiplied by the ..........................

of the wall.

2 (a) State what happens to the molecules of a gas in a sealed container when the temperature of
the gas is increased.

...........................................................................................................................................

(b) A quantity of gas is contained in a sealed container of fixed volume. The temperature of the
gas is increased.

State, in terms of molecules, two reasons why the pressure of the gas increases.

1. .....................................................................................................................................

2. .....................................................................................................................................

3
(c) A helium-filled weather balloon is held at ground level. The volume of the balloon is 4800 m .
The pressure of the helium is 98 kPa.
3
The balloon is released and rises to a height where the volume of the balloon is 7200 m .

(i) Calculate the new pressure of the helium. Assume that the temperature stays constant.

pressure = .................................................................

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 ii) Suggest why it may be necessary to release helium from the balloon as it rises even
higher.

................................................................................................................................

................................................................................................................................

3. A lake is 5.0 m deep. The density of the water is 1000 kg / m3.

(i) Calculate the pressure at the bottom of the lake due to this depth of water.

pressure = ...........................................................

(ii) A bubble of gas escapes from the mud at the bottom of the lake and rises to the surface.

Place one tick in each row of the table to indicate what happens to the volume, the mass
and the density of the gas in the bubble. Assume that no gas or water vapour enters or
leaves the bubble.

increases stays the same decreases

volume of bubble

mass of gas in bubble

density of gas in bubble

4 Fig. 4.1 shows a gas contained in a cylinder enclosed by a piston.

piston pressure gauge

gas cylinder

100 cm

Fig. 4.1

At first, the length of cylinder containing the gas is 100 cm. The pressure of the gas, shown by the
pressure gauge, is 300 kPa. The area of cross-section of the cylinder is 0.12 m2.

(a)
a) Describe the motion of the molecules of the gas.

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 (ii) Use the idea of momentum to explain how the molecules exert a force on the walls of the
cylinder.

(b) The piston is moved so that the new length of cylinder occupied by the gas is 40 cm. The
temperature of the gas is unchanged.

(i) Calculate the new pressure of the gas.

pressure =

(ii) Explain, in terms of the behaviour of the molecules, why the pressure has changed.

5 Fig. 5.1 shows a cylinder containing gas compressed by the movement of a piston.
compressed gas

final position of piston

cylinder Fig. 5.1

initial position of piston

Initially the volume of the gas was 470 cm3. The piston moves up and compresses the gas to a
volume of 60 cm3. The whole arrangement is left for some time until the gas cools to its original
temperature. The pressure of the gas is now 800 kPa.
(a) Calculate the initial pressure of the gas.

pressure = ........................................................ page 3

 (b) Explain, in terms of molecules, the effect on the pressure of the gas if it was not given time to
cool to its original temperature.

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...............................................................................................................................................

(c) The area of the piston is 5.5 × 10–3 m2 (0.0055 m2).

Calculate the force exerted by the gas on the piston when the pressure is 800 kPa.

force = .........................................................

6. Fig. 6.1 shows a weather balloon being inflated by helium from a cylinder.

HELIUM

Fig. 6.1

(i) The helium that inflates the balloon had a volume of 0.035 m3 at a pressure of
2.6 × 106 Pa, inside the cylinder.

The pressure of the helium in the balloon is 1.0 × 105 Pa and its temperature is the
same as it was when in the cylinder.

Calculate the volume occupied by the helium in the balloon.

volume = ..................................................

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 7 (a) Explain

(i) how gas molecules exert a force on a solid surface,

..................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................

............................................................................................................................

(ii) the increase in pressure of a gas when its volume is decreased at constant
temperature.

..................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................

............................................................................................................................

(b) A cylinder of volume 5.0 × 103 cm3 contains air at a pressure of 8.0 × 105 Pa.

A leak develops so that air gradually escapes from the cylinder until the air in the cylinder
is at atmospheric pressure. The pressure of the atmosphere is 1.0 × 105 Pa.

Calculate the volume of the escaped air, now at atmospheric pressure. Assume that the
temperature stays constant.

volume = ............................................cm3
8 (a) One of the laws about the behaviour of gases states that

“For a fixed amount of gas at constant temperature, the pressure is inversely proportional
to the volume”.

In the space below, write an equation that represents this law.

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(b) Table 8.1 gives a series of pressures and their corresponding volumes, obtained in an
experiment with a fixed amount of gas. The gas obeys the law referred to in (a).

pressure / kPa 100 200 400 500 1000

volume / cm3 50.0 25.0 12.5 10.0 5.0

Table 8.1

How do these figures indicate that the temperature was constant throughout the
experiment?

..........................................................................................................................................

..........................................................................................................................................

..........................................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................

(c) Air is trapped by a piston in a cylinder. The pressure of the air is 1.2 × 105 Pa. The
distance from the closed end of the cylinder to the piston is 75 mm.

The piston is pushed in until the pressure of the air has risen to 3.0 × 105 Pa.

Calculate how far the piston has moved.

distance moved = . .................................................

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