Solids, Liquids & Gases Calculations IGCSE

Density
What is the density of the following objects?
1. A solid block of wood with a mass of 132.5 kg and a volume of 0.25 m 3. 132.5/0.25 = 530 kg/m3
2. A liquid with a mass of 202.5 g and a volume of 15 cm 3. 202.5/15 = 13.5 g/cm3
3. A gas with a mass of 1.43g and a volume of 1000 cm 3. 1.43/1000 = 1.43x10-3 g/cm3
Extension – what are the above materials?

What is the mass of the following objects?

4. A piece of magnesium ribbon (density 1.74 g/cm 3) with a volume of 0.1 cm3. 1.74 x 0.1 =0.174 g
5. A piece of zinc (density 7.14 g/cm3) with a volume of 13 cm3. 7.14 x 13 =93 g
6. A Kevlar vest (density 1440 kg/m3) with a volume of 0.005 m3. 1440 x 0.005 =7.2 kg

What is the volume of the following objects?

7. 2.7 kg of mercury (density 13.5 g/cm3). 2700/13.5 = 200 cm3
8. 3.0 kg of air (density 1.2 kg/m3). 3/1.2 =2.5 m3
9. An ice cube (density 916.7 kg/m3) with a mass of 10 g. 0.01/916.7 = 1.1x10-5 m3 = 11 cm3

Pressure
A solid block, weighing 200 N, has the following dimensions:
0.1 m x 0.5 m x 0.3 m.
1. What is the maximum pressure it can exert on a surface? 200/(0.1 x 0.3) = 6667 N/m2
2. What is the minimum pressure is can exert on a surface? 200/(0.5 x 0.3) = 1333 N/m2
3. What would the pressure be if it was placed on the third side? 200/(0.1 x 0.5) = 4000 N/m2

How much weight/force is required to give a pressure of 5000 N/m 2 in each of the following
situations?
4. A child standing on a raft with an area of 0.05 m 2. 0.05 x 5000 = 250 N
5. A table with four legs totalling an area of 0.01 m 2. 0.01 x 5000 = 50 N
6. A quad bike with four wheels totalling an area of 0.36 m 2. 0.36 x 5000 = 1800 N

Pressure in Liquids
Calculate the pressure difference in the following situations.
1. A fish descends 2 m in fresh water (density 1000 kg/m 3). 1000 x 10 x 2 = 20,000 N/m2
2. A fish descends 2 m in salt water (density 1027 kg/m 3). 1027 x 10 x 2 = 20,540 N/m2
3. A scuba diver that rises from 10 m below the surface to 2 m below the surface (in salt water). 1027 x
10 x 8 = 82,160 N/m2

Converting Temperatures
Convert the following temperatures from Convert the following temperatures from
degrees Celsius to degrees kelvin. degrees Kelvin to degrees Celsius.
1. 323 K 50 °C
2. 298 K 25 °C
3. 420K 147 °C
 Solids, Liquids & Gases Calculations IGCSE

1. The boiling point of water - 100°C 373 K

2. The freezing point of water - 0°C 273 K
3. Body temperature - 37°C 310 K
Pressure & Temperature*
Calculate the final pressure in these situations.
1. A sealed container of gas at 101,000 Pa is heated from 300 K to 400 K. (101 x 400)/300 = 135 kPa
2. A compressed gas cylinder (pressure: 250 kPa) is heated from 300 K to 350 K. (250 x 350)/300
= 292 kPa
3. A sealed container of gas at 350 kPa is heated from 0°C to 100°C. (350 x 373)/273 = 478 kPa
Calculate the final temperature in these situations.
4. A sealed container of gas at 200 K is heated, increasing the pressure from 150 kPa to 200 kPa.
(200 x 200)/150 = 267 K
5. A compressed gas cylinder (initial temperature: 298 K) is cooled, decreasing the pressure from 101
kPa to 80 kPa. (80 x 298)/101 = 236 K
6. A sealed container of gas at 400 K is cooled, decreasing the pressure from 350 kPa to 200 kPa.
(200 x 400)/350 = 229 K
Calculate the initial pressure in these situations.
7. A sealed container of gas at 200 K is heated to 300 K. The final pressure was 150 kPa.
(150 x 200)/300 = 100 kPa
8. A compressed gas cylinder (initial temperature: 298 K) is cooled to 100 K. The final pressure was 101
kPa. (101 x 298)/100 = 301 kPa
9. A sealed container of gas at 273 K is heated to 373 K. The final pressure was 200 kPa.
(200 x 273)/373 = 146 kPa

Pressure & Volume

Calculate the final pressure in these situations.
1. A sealed container of gas at 101,000 Pa is expanded, reducing the volume from 0.5 m 3 to 0.25 m3.
(101 x 0.5)/0.25 = 202 kPa
2. A sealed container of gas at 101,000 Pa expands from a volume of 0.5 m 3 to 0.8 m3.
(101 x 0.5)/0.8 = 63 kPa
3. A sealed balloon containing helium at 150 kPa is squashed from 1000 cm 3 to 700 cm3.
(150 x 1000)/700 = 214 kPa
Calculate the final volume in these situations.
4. A compressible container of gas, with an initial volume of 490 cm 3, is compressed, increasing the
pressure from 150 kPa to 200 kPa.
(150 x 490)/200 = 368 cm3
5. A balloon of air, with an initial volume 500 of cm 3, is squashed, increasing the pressure from 101 kPa to
103 kPa.
(101 x 500)/103 = 490 cm3
6. An expandable container of gas at is stretched, decreasing the pressure from 201 kPa to 101 kPa. The
initial volume was 1000 m3.
(201 x 1000)/101 = 1990 cm3
 Solids, Liquids & Gases Calculations IGCSE
Calculate the initial pressure in these situations. P2V2/V1
7. A sealed container of gas is squashed, reducing the volume from 0.5 m 3 to 0.25 m3, with a final
pressure of 120 kPa. (120 x 0.25)/0.5 = 60 kPa
8. A sealed container of gas is expanded from a volume of 0.4 m 3 to 0.6 m3, with a final pressure of 90
kPa. (90 x 0.6)/0.4 = 135 kPa
9. A sealed balloon containing helium is squashed from 1000 cm 3 to 700 cm3. The final pressure was 130
kPa. (130 x 700)/1000 = 91 kPa