Worksheet - Pressure and Thermal Physics
Worksheet - Pressure and Thermal Physics
Worksheet - Pressure and Thermal Physics
2 Which row describes the shape and the volume of a liquid at constant temperature?
shape volume
A fixed fixed
B fixed not fixed
C not fixed fixed
D not fixed not fixed
3 Which row shows how the forces and the distances between the particles in a solid generally
compare with the forces and distances in a liquid?
A stronger greater
B stronger smaller
C weaker greater
D weaker smaller
The atmospheric pressure is 100 kPa. The gas pressure is 200 kPa above atmospheric pressure.
The piston moves outwards and the volume of the trapped gas doubles. The temperature
remains constant.
cylinder
piston
P Q
lid hair dryer
glass
container
contains
packing of particles
free electrons
A close together no
B close together yes
C far apart no
D far apart yes Page 2
9 A man finds it difficult to hammer a wooden post into the ground.
How could he make the post go in more easily?
10 Which diagram shows the names of the changes of state that correspond to the directions of the
arrows?
A Each particle gets bigger and they collide with each other more often.
B Each particle gets bigger and they collide harder with the cylinder.
C The particles gain kinetic energy and hit the cylinder harder and more often.
D The particles lose kinetic energy and they hit the cylinder harder and more often.
12 A gas is trapped inside a cylinder by a movable piston. The length of the gas column is 20 cm and
the pressure inside the cylinder is p.
50 cm
gas at initial
pressure p
20 cm
original position
of piston
The piston is pulled out a distance of 30 cm, so that the length of the gas column is now 50 cm.
The temperature of the gas does not change.
What is the new pressure of the gas?
A 0.40 p B 0.60 p C 1.5 p D 2.5 p
13 A gas is stored in a sealed container of constant volume. The temperature of the gas increases.
This causes the pressure of the gas to increase.
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14 Pot X and pot Y are both in a cool room.
Pot X contains hot water below its boiling point.
Pot Y is identical to pot X but contains water that is kept boiling by a hotplate underneath it.
kitchen hotplate of
pot X pot Y
surface a cooker
What happens to the average kinetic energy of the particles in the liquid water in pot X and to the
average kinetic energy of the particles in the liquid water in pot Y?
A decreases increases
B decreases does not change
C stays the same increases
D stays the same does not change
gas
cylinder piston
The piston is moved to the left or to the right. The temperature of the gas is kept constant.
Which row describes the effect of moving the piston slowly in the direction shown in the table?
movement speed of gas pressure
of piston molecules of gas
What happens to the average speed of the gas molecules and to the pressure of the gas in the
cylinder as the temperature of the gas rises?
A decreases decreases
B decreases increases
C increases decreases
D increases increases
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17 Two states of matter are described as follows.
In state 1, the molecules are very far apart. They move about very quickly at random in straight
lines until they hit something.
In state 2, the molecules are quite closely packed together. They move about at random. They do
not have fixed positions.
What is state 1 and what is state 2?
state 1 state 2
A gas
as liquid
B gas
as solid
C liquid
iqu gas
D solid
olid liquid
18 The diagrams represent the molecules in two different states of matter. The arrows show the
motion of the molecules. molecule
state 1 state 2
What is state 1, and what is state 2?
state 1 state 2
A gas
as liquid
B gas
as solid
C liquid
iqu gas
D liquid
iqu solid
20 Which graph shows the relationship between the pressure and the volume of the gas?
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1 (a) Explain, in terms of molecules, why it is possible to compress a gas, but not a liquid.
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2 (a) State what happens to the molecules of a gas in a sealed container when the temperature of
the gas is increased.
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(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. ..................................................................................................................................... [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.
(ii) Suggest why it may be necessary to release helium from the balloon as it rises even
higher.
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................................................................................................................................ [1]
3 (a) (i) State two ways in which the molecular structure of a liquid is different from the molecular
structure of a solid.
1. .......................................................................................................................................
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2. .......................................................................................................................................
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[2]
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4 A teacher shows a class examples of three states of matter. These are a solid metal block resting
on the bench, a liquid in a glass beaker and a gas in a clear balloon in the laboratory.
(a) (i) Complete Fig. 4.1b, to show the arrangement of molecules in the liquid.
(ii) Complete Fig. 4.1c, to show the arrangement of molecules in the gas.
[3]
(b) (i) In the list below, draw a ring around the state of matter that is the easiest to compress.
[1]
(ii) In terms of its molecules, explain why this state of matter is the easiest to compress.
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...................................................................................................................................... [2]
5 Fig. 2.1 shows a cylinder containing gas compressed by the movement of a piston.
compressed gas
cylinder
Fig. 2.1
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 = .........................................................[3]
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(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.
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...............................................................................................................................................[3]
6 When the temperature of a liquid increases, the kinetic energy of its particles increases and the
liquid expands.
(a) Explain, by referring to particles, why a liquid expands when heated.
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7 Fig. 5.1 shows the particles (molecules) in a sample of liquid water.
Fig. 5.1
(a) Explain, using ideas about particles, why liquids expand more than solids for the same
temperature rise.
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............................................................................................................................................. [2]
(i) State the boiling point of water on the Kelvin scale of temperature.
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(c) An electric heater is used to heat a sample of metal, as shown in Fig. 5.2. There is no thermal
energy transferred from the metal to the surroundings during the heating.
sample of metal
Fig. 5.2
The heater is switched on for 2.0 minutes and then switched off. The maximum temperature
reached by the metal is 40 °C.
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8 When the temperature of a liquid increases, the kinetic energy of its particles increases and the
liquid expands.
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............................................................................................................................................. [2]
(b) The heater in a kettle is near to the base of the kettle. The kettle is filled with water at a
temperature of 17 °C and the heater is switched on.
The kettle contains 2.5 kg of water at standard atmospheric pressure.
The specific heat capacity of water is 4200 J / (kg °C).
When the water reaches its boiling temperature, the kettle switches off.
Calculate the increase in the internal energy of the water.
9 (a) A student pushes a drawing pin into a wooden board, as shown in Fig. 4.1.
drawing pin
wooden board
finger
Fig. 4.1
The area of the pin in contact with the finger is 5.0 × 10−5 m2. The student pushes downwards
with a force of 26 N.
The mass of the drawing pin is very small.
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(ii) Compare the force exerted by the finger on the drawing pin with the force exerted by the
drawing pin on the wooden board.
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..................................................................................................................................... [1]
(iii) Explain why the drawing pin goes into the wooden board but not into the finger.
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(b) Fig. 4.2 shows water emerging from a plastic bag that contains a number of small holes.
Fig. 4.2
(i) Explain why the water emerges from each hole in a direction at right angles to the surface
of the bag.
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..................................................................................................................................... [2]
Explain why the water emerges faster from the hole at A than from the hole at B.
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