GAS LAWS –EXPANSION WORKSHEET

CSEC Physics Past Paper 2 Questions (2010-2024)

1. (a) Figure 6 shows a fixed mass of gas which is trapped in a cylinder by a piston.
The gas is at atmospheric pressure 1.0 x 105 Pa. The volume of the trapped gas is 1.9 x 10-4 m3 and the initial
temperature is 27 ⸰C. An electrical heater is used to increase the temperature of the trapped gas to a final
temperature 627 ⸰C.

(i) Use the kinetic theory to explain how the gas exerts pressure on the piston. [3 marks]
(ii) Calculate the final volume of the gas, given that the final pressure is 1.8 x 105 Pa. [6 marks]
2. The graph in Figure 3 shows how pressure, p, varies with inverse volume, 1/v.
(i) State the law associated with graph in Figure 3. [1 mark]

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(ii) Use the graph to determine the volume when the pressure is 250 kPa. [3 marks]
(iii) Use your answer above to calculate the new volume when the pressure is increased from 250 kPa to 975
kPa. [4 marks]
3. (a) (i) On Figure 4 below, sketch the graph of pressure versus temperature (in degrees Celsius) for an ideal
gas.

[2 marks]
(ii) Explain how the graph could be used to derive the Kelvin scale. [2 marks]
(iii) Using T to represent the Kevin temperature and θ to represent the Celsius temperature, state the
mathematical relationship between the Kelvin and Celsius temperature scales. [2 marks]
(b) A container stores 5.0 m3 of gas at a pressure of 13 atmospheres and a temperature of -23 ° C. Calculate the
volume that the same gas would occupy at a temperature of 27 ° C and atmospheric pressure of 1 atmosphere.
[5 marks]
4.(a) (i) Describe how the graph of Volume versus Temperature (in Celsius) of a gas can be used to derive the
Kelvin scale. [4 marks]
(ii) State the mathematical relationship between the Kelvin and Celsius temperature scales. [2 marks]
(b) A piston traps a mass of gas in a cylinder. At 25 ℃ , the pressure of the gas is 5 atmospheres when its
volume is 50 ml.
(i) Calculate the volume of the gas if its pressure drops to 1 atmosphere at constant temperature. [4 marks]
(ii) After resetting the piston, the gas returns to its initial pressure and volume. If the volume is now fixed while
the gas is heated to 60 ℃ , calculate the final pressure of the gas. [5 marks]
5. (a) (i) State the equation for the general gas law for an ideal gas. [1 mark]
(ii) State the meaning of EACH symbol stated in the equation in (a)(i). [4 marks]
(b) (i) A car tyre is pumped to a pressure of 2 x 105 Nm-2 in the morning when the temperature is 23 ℃ . Later
in the day, the temperature rises to 34 ℃ . Calculate the new pressure in the tyre. The volume of air is kept
constant. [5 marks]
(ii) Using the kinetic theory of matter, explain why the increase in pressure occurred. [2 marks]
V2
(iii) Calculate the ratio of new volume to old volume [ ] for the tyre, if the pressure is held constant while
V1
the temperature rises from 23 ℃ to 34 ℃ . [3 marks]
6. (a) A little girl blew up a balloon during Christmas celebration.
Explain, in terms of kinetic theory, how pressure is exerted by the air in the balloon. [5 marks]

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 GAS LAWS – EXPANSION MCQ
CSEC Physics Past Paper 1 Questions (2010-2024)
Item 1 refers to the following diagram. 5. Which of the following graphs illustrates the
variation in pressure (P) and volume (V) for a gas
obeying Boyle’s Law?

1. 24 cm3 of air at a pressure P mm Hg are trapped

in the syringe which is blocked at X. The piston is
forced to the 8 cm3 mark. The new pressure in terms
of P is
(Assume constant temperature)
(A) P/3
(B) 3P
(C) 8P
(D) 24 P

2. In the pressure law which of the following would

be true?
I. Ratio of pressure to Kelvin temperature
is constant
II. Volume is constant
III. Pressure is constant

(A) I only
(B) III only
(C) I and II only
(D) I, II and III 6. A flask contains air under pressure. Some of the
air is let out slowly over a period of 10 seconds.
When the flask is closed the
3. A gas is much easier to compress than a solid or (A) pressure of the air in the flask will have
liquid because the gas molecules increased
(B) volume of air in the flask will have
(A) are very numerous
decreased
(B) are arranged randomly
(C) temperature in the flask will have increased
(C) are moving very rapidly
(D) number of molecules striking per second
(D) have no forces between them
will have decreased
7. Boyle’s law for a gas can be tested
4. A fixed mass of gas at constant temperature is experimentally, provided which of the following
compressed. The molecules of the gas will is/are maintained constant?
(A) hit the sides of the container more often I. Temperature
(B) have more kinetic energy II. Pressure
(C) move more slowly III. Density
(D) have more momentum IV. Mass

(A) III only

(B) I and II only
(C) I and IV only
(D) I, II and III only

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8. A light bulb is filled with a gas at a temperature
of 293 K. If the initial pressure of the gas is P. what
will it be when the temperature increases to 360 K?

393
(A) x P
360

360
(B) xP
293

293 1
(C) x
360 P

360 1
(D) x
293 P

9. A gas occupies 2 m3 at 27℃ and at a pressure of

1 atmosphere. At a pressure of 2 atmospheres it
occupies a volume of 1 m3. What is its temperature
at this new volume and pressure?

(A) 54.0 ℃
(B) 27.0 ℃
(C) 6.75 ℃
(D) -198 ℃

10. Under what conditions may we apply the

following gas formula to solve problems?

I. The mass of gas must be constant.

II. P1 and P2 must be measured in mm of
mercury.
III. The units of the product P1 and V1 must
be the same as the units of the product of
P2 and V2.

(A) I only
(B) II only
(C) I and III only
(D) I, II and III

11. According to the kinetic theory, when a gas in a

closed container is heated the pressure rises because

(A) There are more molecules hitting the walls

of the container
(B) The molecules move faster and hit each
other harder and more often
(C) The molecules expand and push harder on
the walls of the container
(D) The molecules move faster and hit the walls
of the container harder and more often

12. A bubble of gas rises to the surface of a soft

drink. This is because the

(A) upthrust of the bubble is greater than the weight

of the bubble
(B) upthrust of the bubble is greater than the weight
of water it displaces
(C) weight of water displaced by the bubble is less
than the weight of the bubble
(D) density of the gas is greater than the density of
the drink
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