1

1 A quantity of gas is trapped by a piston in a cylinder with thin metal walls. The piston is free to move
without friction within the cylinder.

The diagram shows the cylinder and piston.

gas

cylinder

piston

The cylinder is placed inside a freezer.

When the temperature reaches −18 °C, the pressure of the gas in the cylinder is still equal to that
of the atmosphere.

Explain, in terms of the particles of the gas, how the pressure remains equal to its original value.

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[Total: 3]
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2 The diagram shows apparatus used to observe the motion of smoke particles (Brownian motion).

microscope

glass cover

smoke glass cell

The glass cell has light shining on it from the side.

The smoke particles are seen as bright specks of light when looking through the microscope.

Explain, in terms of forces and the motion of air molecules, the cause of the motion of the smoke
particles.

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[Total: 4]

3 The temperature of the air in a sealed glass container is increased.

Explain, in terms of molecules, why the pressure of the air also increases.

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[Total: 2]

4 Explain, in terms of molecules, how sweating helps to cool your body on a hot day.

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[Total: 3]

5 A fixed mass of gas of volume V1 is at a pressure p1. It is compressed to a volume V2.

(a) Complete the equation for the final pressure p2 of the gas when the gas is compressed at
constant temperature.

p2 =

[2]

(b) State and explain how the final pressure compares with p2 when the temperature of the gas
increases during compression.

statement...........................................................................................................................

explanation........................................................................................................................

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[Total: 5]

6 Explain, in terms of forces between molecules, why gases expand more than liquids when they
have the same rise in temperature. Assume that the pressure remains constant.

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[Total: 2]
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7 A large test-tube contains a liquid at room temperature. An electric heater is immersed in the liquid
and is switched on. Thermal energy is supplied to the liquid by the heater. The temperature of the
liquid increases until it reaches its boiling point. The liquid then starts to change into gas.

Describe, in terms of molecules and their motion, how a liquid differs from a gas.

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[Total: 3]

8 A large test-tube contains a liquid at room temperature. An electric heater is immersed in the liquid
and is switched on. Thermal energy is supplied to the liquid by the heater. The temperature of the
liquid increases until it reaches its boiling point. The liquid then starts to change into gas.

Describe what happens to molecules of the liquid as its temperature begins to increase.

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[Total: 2]

9 The diagram shows a cylinder and piston.

3
The volume of gas in the cylinder is 3400 cm .
5
The pressure of the gas in the cylinder is 0.90 × 10 Pa.
 5

(a) The piston is moved to the left and fixed in a new position. The pressure of the gas in the
5
cylinder increases to 2.5 × 10 Pa. Assume that the temperature of the gas does not change.

Calculate the new volume of the gas.

volume = .............................................. [3]

(b) The gas in the cylinder is now heated. The piston remains fixed in the same position as in (a).

State and explain, in terms of molecules, any change in the pressure of the gas.

statement ..........................................................................................................................

explanation .......................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................................... [3]

[Total: 6]

10 The diagram shows a gas contained in a cylinder enclosed by a piston.

Describe, in terms of momentum of the molecules, how a pressure is exerted on the walls of the
cylinder.

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[Total: 3]

11 The diagram shows a gas contained in a cylinder enclosed by a piston.

3 3
The piston is pushed into the cylinder. The volume decreases from 820 cm to 330 cm . The
pressure gauge measures the pressure after compression as 20 000 Pa. The temperature remains
constant.

Calculate the value of the pressure before the gas was compressed.

pressure = .............................................. [3]

[Total: 3]
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5
12 Gas is trapped in a cylinder by a piston. The gas is at atmospheric pressure which is 1.0 × 10 Pa.
The diagram shows the piston held in position by a catch.

An electrical heater is used to increase the temperature of the trapped gas by 550 °C.
5
When the temperature of the gas has increased by 550 °C, its pressure is 2.9 × 10 Pa. The catch
is then released allowing the piston to move. As the piston moves, the temperature of the gas
remains constant.

State and explain what happens to the piston.

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[Total: 2]
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13 A cube of side 0.040 m is floating in a container of liquid. The diagram shows that the surface of
the liquid is 0.028 m above the level of the bottom face of the cube.

The pressure of the air above the cube exerts a force on the top face of the cube. The valve is
closed.

Explain, in terms of air molecules, how the force due to the pressure of the air is produced.

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[Total: 3]
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5
14 Gas is trapped in a cylinder by a piston. The gas is at atmospheric pressure which is 1.0 × 10 Pa.
The diagram shows the piston held in position by a catch.

–4 3
The volume of the trapped gas is 1.9 × 10 m.

An electrical heater is used to increase the temperature of the trapped gas by 550 °C
5
When the temperature of the gas has increased by 550 °C, its pressure is 2.9 × 10 Pa. The catch
is then released allowing the piston to move. As the piston moves, the temperature of the gas
remains constant.

Determine the volume of the gas when the piston stops moving.

volume = .............................................. [2]

[Total: 2]

15 Gases can be compressed but liquids are incompressible.

Explain, in terms of molecules, why liquids are incompressible.

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[Total: 2]
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16 Before injecting a patient, a doctor wipes a small amount of a volatile liquid on to the patient’s skin.

Explain, in terms of molecules, how this procedure cools the patient’s skin.

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[Total: 4]
3 6
17 A cylinder of volume 0.012 m contains a compressed gas at a pressure of 1.8 × 10 Pa. A valve
is opened and all the compressed gas escapes from the cylinder into the atmosphere.

The temperature of the gas does not change.

5
Calculate the volume that the escaped gas occupies at the atmospheric pressure of 1.0 × 10 Pa.

volume = .............................................. [3]

[Total: 3]

18 Explain, in terms of the forces between their molecules, why gases expand more than solids when
they undergo the same rise in temperature.

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[Total: 2]
 11

19 A person climbs out of a swimming pool and stands in the open air.

Explain why evaporation of water from the surface of the person’s body causes the person to feel
cold.

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[Total: 2]

20 A closed box contains gas molecules.

Explain, in terms of momentum, how the molecules exert a pressure on the walls of the box.

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[Total: 4]
 12

21 The diagram shows a volume of gas in a cylinder.

The piston in the cylinder is free to move. The piston moves to the left when the temperature of the
gas is decreased.

Explain, in terms of the molecules of the gas, why this happens.

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[Total: 4]

22 The diagram shows a balloon filled with helium that is used to lift measuring instruments to a great
height above the Earth’s surface.

(a) Explain, in terms of momentum, how the atoms of helium produce a force on the wall of the
balloon.

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 13

5
(b) At ground level, the pressure of the helium in the balloon is 1.0 × 10 Pa. The volume occupied
3
by the helium is 9.6 m .

The balloon is released and it rises quickly through the atmosphere. The volume occupied by
the helium increases, but the temperature of the helium may be assumed to stay constant.

(i) Explain, in terms of the helium atoms in the balloon, why the pressure in the balloon is
smaller than at ground level.

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3
(ii) Calculate the pressure of the helium when it occupies a volume of 12 m .

pressure = ............................................ [2]

[Total: 7]

23 A beaker contains water at room temperature. The diagram shows the beaker placed on a tripod
above a Bunsen burner.

The Bunsen burner is lit and the temperature of the water begins to increase.

(a) The water is evaporating.

 14

(i) Describe one difference between evaporation and boiling.

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(ii) State and explain what happens to the rate at which the water evaporates as its
temperature increases.

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(b) After a few minutes, the water reaches its boiling point temperature. The water continues to
gain energy from the Bunsen burner.

(i) State what happens to the temperature of the water in the beaker.

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6
(ii) The specific latent heat of vaporisation of water is 2.3 x 10 J / kg. After the water
reaches its boiling point, it takes 12 minutes for 0.095 kg of water to boil away.

Calculate the average rate at which energy is being supplied to the water by heating.

rate of energy supplied = ................................................ [3]

[Total: 7]

24 A balloon contains a fixed mass of gas.

(a) Explain, in terms of the momentum of molecules, how the gas in the balloon exerts a pressure.

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(b) Explain, in terms of molecules, why the pressure of the gas increases when the volume of the
balloon decreases. The temperature of the gas is constant.

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3 5
(c) The initial volume of the gas is 500 cm and its pressure is 1.1 × 10 Pa. The volume is reduced
3
to 200 cm . The temperature of the gas is constant.

Calculate the new pressure.

pressure = .................................................. [2]

[Total: 6]
 16

25 The figure shows a cylinder containing gas compressed by the movement of a piston.

compressed gas

final position of piston

cylinder

initial position of piston

3
Initially the volume of the gas was 470 cm . The piston moves up and compresses the gas to a
3
volume of 60 cm . 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.

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.

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[Total: 3]
 17

26 The figure shows two puddles.

large puddle

small puddle

State and explain how the rate of evaporation from the large puddle compares to that from the
small puddle under the same conditions.

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[Total: 2]

27 A small cylinder of compressed helium gas is used to inflate balloons for a celebration.
–3 3 3
The helium in the cylinder has a volume of 6.0 × 10 m (0.0060 m ) and is at a pressure of
6
2.75 × 10 Pa.
5
The pressure of helium in each balloon is 1.1 × 10 Pa. The volume of helium in an inflated balloon
–3 3
is 3.0 × 10 (0.0030 m ). The temperature of the helium does not change.

Calculate the number of balloons that were inflated.

number of balloons = .............................................. [3]

[Total: 3]

28 A small cylinder of compressed helium gas is used to inflate balloons for a celebration.
 18

(a) In the box below, sketch a diagram to represent the arrangement of helium molecules in a
balloon.

[2]

(b) State and explain how the size of the attractive forces acting between the molecules of a gas
compares with the size of the attractive forces between the molecules of a solid.

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[Total: 4]

29 A teacher in a school laboratory pours liquid ethanol from a bottle into a glass dish. The glass dish
rests on an electronic balance. Although the temperature of the laboratory is below the boiling point
of ethanol, the mass of ethanol in the dish quickly decreases as ethanol evaporates.

Suggest two ways in which the rate of evaporation of ethanol from the dish can be reduced.

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

2. ........................................................................................................................................... [2]

[Total: 2]

30 A small cylinder of compressed helium gas is used to inflate balloons for a celebration.

Later, the temperature increases and some of the balloons burst.

Suggest and explain why this happens.

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[Total: 2]
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31 A syringe is used to transfer smokey air from above a flame to a small glass container.

Extremely small solid smoke particles are suspended in the air in the container.

The container is brightly illuminated from the side and viewed through a microscope.

(a) The movement of the suspended smoke particles is called Brownian motion. Describe this
Brownian motion.

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(b) Explain what causes the motion of the smoke particles.

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[Total: 4]

32 The following are three statements about boiling.

• A liquid boils at a fixed temperature.

• During boiling, vapour can form at any point within the liquid.

• Without a supply of thermal energy, boiling stops.

Complete the following equivalent statements about evaporation.

• A liquid evaporates at ............................................................................................................

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

• During evaporation ................................................................................................................

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• Without a supply of thermal energy, evaporation ................................................................... [3]

[Total: 3]

33 The figure shows a quantity of gas in a cylinder fitted with a piston P.

 20

gas

(a) The piston is now slowly pushed down to decrease the volume of the gas. The temperature
of the gas does not change.

State and explain, in terms of molecules, what happens to the pressure of the gas.

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........................................................................................................................................... [2]
5
(b) Before pushing the piston down, the pressure of the gas was 1.0 × 10 Pa. Pushing the piston
3 3
down reduces the volume of the gas from 500 cm to 240 cm .

Calculate the final pressure of the gas.

pressure = ..................................... [2]

[Total: 4]

34 During both boiling and evaporation, liquid water is converted into water vapour.

The rate at which the mass of boiling water decreases depends only on the rate at which the water
is gaining thermal energy.

The rate at which the mass of evaporating water decreases depends on other factors.

(a) State two of these factors.

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

2. .................................................................................................................................. [2]
 21

(b) State two other ways in which evaporation is different from boiling.

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

2. .................................................................................................................................. [2]

[Total: 4]

35 Puddles of water form on a path after rainfall on a windy day.

In terms of molecules, state and explain how the rate of evaporation of the puddles is affected by
a reduction of wind speed.

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[Total: 2]

36 Puddles of water form on a path after rainfall on a windy day.

In terms of molecules, state and explain how the rate of evaporation of the puddles is affected by
an increase of water temperature.

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[Total: 2]

37 The diagram shows students walking to school. There are puddles of water on the ground.
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puddles

After school, the puddles have disappeared and the ground is dry.

(a) State the name of the process that causes the puddles to disappear.

........................................................................................................................................... [1]

(b) Describe the process that causes the puddles to disappear.

Use your ideas about molecules.

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........................................................................................................................................... [3]

[Total: 4]
 23

38 Some gas is trapped in a cylinder fitted with a moveable piston. The diagram shows the arrangement.

gas

cylinder
moveable
piston

Describe how the gas exerts a pressure on the cylinder.

Use your ideas about molecules.

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.................................................................................................................................................. [2]

[Total: 2]

39 Some gas is trapped in a cylinder fitted with a moveable piston. Diagram A shows the arrangement.

gas

cylinder
moveable
piston
Diagram A

The piston moves and increases the volume occupied by the gas. The temperature of the gas
remains constant. Diagram B shows the new position of the piston.

moveable
gas piston

cylinder

Diagram B

State and explain what happens to the pressure of the gas on the cylinder.

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.................................................................................................................................................. [2]

[Total: 2]
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40 A teacher fills a copper can with solid wax and heats the can. She continues heating once the wax
has melted and stops heating when the wax is boiling.

Describe the molecular structure of the wax in terms of the arrangement, separation and motion
of its molecules when it is a solid and when it is a gas.

solid wax ..................................................................................................................................

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wax as a gas ............................................................................................................................

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[Total: 6]