Ideal Gas

1 (a) The kinetic theory of gases is based on some simplifying assumptions. The molecules of the gas are
assumed to behave as hard elastic identical spheres.
State the assumption about ideal gas molecules based on
(i) the nature of their movement,
............................................................................................................................................................................
....................................................................................................................................................................... [1]
(ii) their volume.
............................................................................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................................................................
....................................................................................................................................................................... [2]
(b) A cube of volume V contains N molecules of an ideal gas. Each molecule has a component cX of
velocity normal to one side S of the cube, as shown in Fig. 1.1.

Fig 1.1
The pressure p of the gas due to the component cX of velocity is given by the expression

where m is the mass of a molecule.

Explain how the expression leads to the relation

where <c2> is the mean square speed of the molecules.

[3]
(c) The molecules of an ideal gas have a root-mean-square (r.m.s.) speed of 520 ms–1 at a temperature of 27
°C. Calculate the r.m.s. speed of the molecules at a temperature of 100 °C.

r.m.s. speed = ....................................... m s–1 [3]

MAMUN SIR, Senior Physics Teacher, Sunnydale. 1 Phone: 01817750750.

2 A student suggests that, when an ideal gas is heated from 100 °C to 200 °C, the internal energy of the gas
is doubled.
(a) (i) State what is meant by internal energy.
............................................................................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................................................................
....................................................................................................................................................................... [2]
(ii) By reference to one of the assumptions of the kinetic theory of gases and your answer in (i), deduce
what is meant by the internal energy of an ideal gas.

............................................................................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................................................................
....................................................................................................................................................................... [3]
(b) State and explain whether the student’s suggestion is correct.
............................................................................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................................................................
....................................................................................................................................................................... [2]

3 An ideal gas has volume V and pressure p. For this gas, the product pV is given by the expression

where m is the mass of a molecule of the gas.

(a) State the meaning of the symbol

(i) N,
....................................................................................................................................................................... [1]
(ii) <c 2>.
....................................................................................................................................................................... [1]
(b) A gas cylinder of volume 2.1 × 104 cm3 contains helium-4 gas at pressure 6.1 × 105 Pa and temperature
12 °C. Helium-4 may be assumed to be an ideal gas.
(i) Determine, for the helium gas,
1. the amount, in mol,

amount = ......................................... mol [3]

2. the number of atoms.

number = .................................................. [2]

MAMUN SIR, Senior Physics Teacher, Sunnydale. 2 Phone: 01817750750.

(ii) Calculate the root-mean-square (r.m.s.) speed of the helium atoms.

r.m.s. speed = ....................................... m s–1 [3]

4 (a) State what is meant by an ideal gas.

............................................................................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................................................................
....................................................................................................................................................................... [3]
(b) Two cylinders A and B are connected by a tube of negligible volume, as shown in Fig. 4.1.

Fig 4.1
Initially, tap T is closed. The cylinders contain an ideal gas at different pressures.
(i) Cylinder A has a constant volume of 2.5 × 103 cm3 and contains gas at pressure 3.4 × 105 Pa and
temperature 300 K.
Show that cylinder A contains 0.34 mol of gas.

[1]
3 3
(ii) Cylinder B has a constant volume of 1.6 × 10 cm and contains 0.20 mol of gas. When tap T is opened,
the pressure of the gas in both cylinders is 3.9 × 105 Pa. No thermal energy enters or leaves the gas.
Determine the final temperature of the gas.

temperature = .............................................. K [2]

MAMUN SIR, Senior Physics Teacher, Sunnydale. 3 Phone: 01817750750.

(c) By reference to work done and change in internal energy, suggest why the temperature of the gas in
cylinder A has changed.

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

5 (a) The volume of an ideal gas in a cylinder is 1.80 × 10–3 m3 at a pressure of 2.60 × 105 Pa and a temperature
of 297 K, as illustrated in Fig 5.1.

Fig 5.1

The thermal energy required to raise the temperature by 1.00 K of 1.00 mol of the gas at constant volume is
12.5 J.
The gas is heated at constant volume such that the internal energy of the gas increases by 95.0 J.
(i) Calculate
1. the amount of gas, in mol, in the cylinder,

amount = ........................................... mol [2]

2. the rise in temperature of the gas.

temperature rise = .............................................. K [2]

MAMUN SIR, Senior Physics Teacher, Sunnydale. 4 Phone: 01817750750.

(ii) Use your answer in (i) part 2 to show that the final pressure of the gas in the cylinder is 2.95 × 105 Pa.

[1]
(b) The gas is now allowed to expand. No thermal energy enters or leaves the gas. The gas does 120 J of
work when expanding against the external pressure.
State and explain whether the final temperature of the gas is above or below 297 K.

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

6 The product of the pressure p and the volume V of an ideal gas is given by the expression

where m is the mass of one molecule of the gas.

(a) State the meaning of the symbol
(i) N,
....................................................................................................................................................................... [1]

(ii) <c 2>.

....................................................................................................................................................................... [1]
(b) The product pV is also given by the expression
pV = NkT.
Deduce an expression, in terms of the Boltzmann constant k and the thermodynamic temperature T, for the
mean kinetic energy of a molecule of the ideal gas.

[2]
(c) A cylinder contains 1.0 mol of an ideal gas.
(i) The volume of the cylinder is constant.

MAMUN SIR, Senior Physics Teacher, Sunnydale. 5 Phone: 01817750750.

Calculate the energy required to raise the temperature of the gas by 1.0 kelvin.

energy = .............................................. J [2]

(ii) The volume of the cylinder is now allowed to increase so that the gas remains at constant pressure when
it is heated.
Explain whether the energy required to raise the temperature of the gas by 1.0 kelvin is now different from
your answer in (i).

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

MAMUN SIR, Senior Physics Teacher, Sunnydale. 6 Phone: 01817750750.