IXC Physics 5054 last submission date:30 March 2020

Kinetic Model of Matter

Assignment total marks:50
1 A gas in a container of fixed volume is heated.

What happens to the molecules of the gas?

A They collide less frequently.

B They expand.
C They move faster.
D They move further apart.

2 Which diagram represents the change in the arrangement of the molecules in a solid as the
substance melts?

A B

C D

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 IXC Physics 5054 last submission date:30 March 2020
3 Some gas is trapped in a closed container. The gas is cooled and the volume of the container is
kept constant.

What happens to the gas molecules?

A They collide with the walls more often.

B They contract.
C They get closer together.
D They move more slowly.

4 A gas is in a sealed container of constant volume. The gas is heated and the pressure of the gas
on the walls of the container increases.

How do the particles of the gas cause this increase in pressure?

A They expand.
B They hit each other more frequently.
C They hit the container more frequently.
D They vibrate faster.

5 A piston is supported by gas trapped in a cylinder.

weight

cylinder

piston

gas

A weight is put on the piston. The volume of gas supporting the piston decreases but the
temperature of the gas is unchanged.

What happens to the molecules?

A They hit the piston more frequently.

B They move more slowly.
C They have a smaller size.
D They have more kinetic energy.

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 IXC Physics 5054 last submission date:30 March 2020

6 At a constant temperature, a solid has a fixed shape and a fixed volume.

Which row describes the shape and the volume of a liquid at constant temperature?

7 When a gas in a container of fixed volume is heated, the pressure of the gas increases.

Which statement explains this?

A The molecules expand and get heavier, so they hit each other harder.
B The molecules have less room to move, so they collide with each other more frequently.
C The molecules hit the walls harder and less frequently.
D The molecules move faster, so they collide with the walls more frequently.

8 Air is heated in a sealed container with constant volume.

Why does the air pressure increase when the temperature increases?

A The air molecules expand.

B The air molecules bounce off each other more frequently.
C The air molecules bounce off the walls more frequently.
D The number of air molecules increases.

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 IXC Physics 5054 last submission date:30 March 2020

9 A gas is enclosed in a container of fixed volume. It gains heat energy from an external source.

What happens to the molecules of the gas?

A They expand.
B They move faster inside the container.
C They move further apart.
D They vibrate with greater frequency.

10 A fixed mass of gas is enclosed in a cylinder by a movable piston.

gas

piston

The piston is moved so that the volume occupied by the gas increases. The temperature remains
constant.

What happens to the pressure of the gas and why does this happen?

pressure reason

A decreases the molecules move more slowly

B decreases the molecules collide with the piston less frequently
C increases the molecules move more quickly
D increases the molecules collide with the piston more frequently

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 IXC Physics 5054 last submission date:30 March 2020
2 A passenger in an aircraft closes a plastic bag with some air inside, as shown in Fig. 3.1.

Fig. 3.1

(a) Explain how the molecules of air in the bag exert a pressure on the inside of the bag.

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

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

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

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

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

(b) When the bag is closed, the pressure of the air inside the aircraft is 80 kPa and the bag
contains 500 cm3 of air.

(i) When the aircraft is on the ground, the pressure of the air inside the aircraft is 100 kPa.

Calculate the volume of air inside the bag when the aircraft is on the ground.

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

(ii) State two assumptions that you made in your calculation in (b)(i).

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

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

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

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

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 IXC Physics 5054 last submission date:30 March 2020

3 Fig.1.1 shows a section through a very old bicycle tyre that is made of solid rubber.

Fig. 1.1 Fig. 1.2

(a) The solid rubber tyre exerts a pressure on the ground.
The unit of pressure is the pascal (Pa).
(i) Define the pascal.
....................................................................................................................................... [2]

(ii) The mass of the bicycle and rider is 60 kg and the total area of the tyres in contact with
the road is 2.4 × 10–3m2. The gravitational field strength is 10 N/kg.
Calculate the pressure exerted on the road.

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

(iii) One of the solid rubber tyres goes over a small stone, as shown in Fig. 1.2. Describe
and explain how the pressure exerted on the ground changes.
............................................................................................................................................
....................................................................................................................................... [2]

(b) Fig. 1.3 shows a modern tyre that contains air. A heavy person sits on the bicycle and the
shape of the tyre changes, as shown in Fig. 1.4.

Fig. 1.3 Fig. 1.4

The table contains information about the tyre in Fig. 1.3 and Fig. 1.4.

(i) Calculate the volume V of the air in the tyre in Fig. 1.4. State one assumption that you
make in your calculation.

V = ......................................[4]

MS / Sh.M / FT 12 / Gr 10/ Physics / Theory questions / Pressure 1

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 IXC Physics 5054 last submission date:30 March 2020

(ii) Another way to change the pressure in the tyre is to raise the temperature.
State what happens to the pressure in the tyre when the temperature rises and explain
your answer using ideas about molecules.
............................................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................................
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....................................................................................................................................... [3]

4 Fig. 2.1 shows a car braking system. The brake fluid is an oily liquid.

Fig. 2.1
The brake drum rotates with the wheel of the car.
(a) Explain how pushing the brake pedal makes the brake shoes rub against the drum.
...................................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................. [2]

(b) The cross-sectional area of the master piston is 2.0 cm2. A force of 140 N is applied to
the master piston.
(i) Calculate the pressure created in the brake fluid by the master piston.

2
pressure = ................................... N / cm [2]

(ii) The cross-sectional area of each slave piston is 2.8 cm2.

Calculate the force exerted on each slave piston by the brake fluid.

force = ........................................... [2]

(iii) The force exerted on the master piston is greater than the force applied by the foot
on the brake pedal. Using the principle of moments, explain this.
............................................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................................
....................................................................................................................................... [2]
2
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IXC Physics 5054 last submission date:30 March 2020

(c) Fig. 2.2 shows a master cylinder sealed at one end. Instead of brake fluid, the cylinder
contains air.

Fig. 2.2

When a force is applied to the piston, the length d changes from 6.0 cm to 4.0 cm.
The pressure of the air increases but the temperature stays constant.
(i) Describe how the molecules of the air exert a pressure.
............................................................................................................................................
....................................................................................................................................... [1]

(ii) Explain why the pressure increases even though the temperature stays constant.
............................................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................................
....................................................................................................................................... [2]

(iii) The initial pressure of the air inside the cylinder is 1.0 × 105 Pa.
Calculate the final pressure of the air. State the formula that you use in your calculation.

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

(d) Air bubbles form in the brake fluid of Fig. 2.1. State the effect this has on the braking system.
...................................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................. [1]

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 IXC Physics 5054 last submission date:30 March 2020
5 A helium balloon carries scientific instruments high up in the atmosphere.
Fig. 5.1 shows the partially inflated helium balloon leaving the ground.

Fig. 5.1

(a) A completely deflated balloon contains no gas. The helium to inflate it is stored in a very
large cylinder at a pressure p1 of 2.5 × 107 Pa. Helium that occupies a volume V1 of 18 m3
in the cylinder is slowly released into the balloon until the pressure p2 in the balloon is
1.0 × 105 Pa.
The temperature of the helium remains constant.
(i) State the equation that relates the volume V2 of the helium in the balloon at launch to p1,
p2 and V1.
....................................................................................................................................... [1]

(ii) Calculate V2.

V2 = ..............................................[2]

(b) When it leaves the ground, the balloon is only partially inflated. Suggest and explain why this
is necessary.
...................................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................. [2]

5
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