Materials

Basic
Questions
Mark Scheme
Contents
Questions on Density
Questions on Specific Heat Capacity and Latent Heat
Questions on Ideal Gases
Questions on Elasticity

Contents
Questions on Density
1. A block of plastic is 25 cm long, 15 cm wide and
10 cm high. It has mass 3.56 kg
Determine its density.

Volume = 0.25 x 0.15 x 0.10 = 0.00375 m3

Density = Mass / Volume = 3.56 / 0.00375 = 949 kg m-3

2. A sphere of metal has diameter 5 cm and mass 583 g.

Find its density.
4πr3
Volume of a sphere, V =
3

4πr3 4π x 0.0253
Volume = = = 6.545 x 10-5
3 3

Density = M/V = 0.583 / 6.545 x 10-5 = 8907.6 = 8910 kg m-3

3. What is the density of the Earth if it has radius 6.37 x 106 m and mass 5.98 x 1024 kg?

4πr3 4π x (6.37 x 106 )3

Volume = = = 1.083 x 1021
3 3

Density = M/V = 5.98 x 1024 / 1.083 x 1021 = 5523 = 5520 kg m-3

4. A piece of wire has diameter 2.4 mm and is 3.6 m long.

a) Find its volume.
[A wire is a very long, thin cylinder. Volume = πr2h]

Volume = π x (1.2 x 10-3)2 x 3.6 = 1.63 x 10-5 m3

b) The wire is made of copper with density 8960 kg m-3. Find the mass of the wire.

D = M/V M = DV = 8900 x 1.629 x 10-5 = 0.145 kg = 145 g

c) The wire is melted down into a cube of copper. Find the dimensions of the cube.

Volume of a cube = L3 L = ∛Volume = ∛1.629 x 10-5 = 0.0253 m = 2.53 cm

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5. Red gold is an alloy used to make jewellery and is made of 75% gold by volume and 25%
copper by volume.
Gold has density of 19300 kg m-3 and copper has density 8960 kg m-3.

A block of red gold has dimensions 20 cm x 8 cm x 5 cm.

a) Determine the volume of the block in m3.

V = 0.20 x 0.08 x 0.05 = 0.0008 = 8.0 x 10-4 m3

b) Determine the volume of the gold in the block.

Vgold = 75/100 x 8.0 x 10-4 = 6.0 x 10-4 m3

c) Determine the mass of the gold in the block.

Mass = density x volume = 19300 x 6.0 x 10-4 = 11.58 = 11.6 kg

d) Determine the volume of the copper in the block.

Vcopper = 25/100 x 8.0 x 10-4 = 2.0 x 10-4 m3

e) Determine the mass of the copper in the block.

Mass = density x volume = 8960 x 2.0 x 10-4 = 1.792 = 1.79 kg

f) Determine the mass of the block.

Mass = 11.58 + 1.792 = 13.372 = 13.4 kg

g) Determine the density of the block.

Density = mass / volume = 13.372 / 8.0 x 10-4 = 16715 = 16700 kg m-3

h) A ring is made of red gold. It has volume 5.68 x 10-7 m3.

Determine the mass of the ring in grams.

D = M/V M = DV = 16715 x 5.68 x 10-7 = 0.00949 kg = 9.49 g

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Questions on Specific Heat Capacity and Latent Heat

1. How much heat is needed to heat 2.6 kg of aluminium from 20oC to 55oC?
The specific heat capacity for aluminium is 900 J kg-1 K-1

Q = mcΔθ = 2.6 x 900 x (55 – 20) = 81900 J = 81.9 kJ

2. How much heat is needed to boil a kettle containing 2 litres of water from 18oC.
The kettle needs a negligible amount of heat.
The specific heat capacity of water is 4.2 x 103 J kg-1 oC-1

E = mcΔT = 2.0 x 4.2 x 103 x (100 – 18) = 688800 J = 689 kJ

3. A metal block of mass 1.02 kg is heated by a 65 W heater. Its temperature goes from
22oC to 43oC in 2 minutes and 36 seconds.
Determine the specific heat capacity of the metal.

P = E/t E = Pt = 65 x 156 = 10140 J

E = mcΔT c = E / mΔT = 10140 / (1.02 x 21) = 473 J kg-1 K-1

4. A copper can of mass 150 g contains 350 ml of water. They are at thermal equilibrium at
17oC.

a) How much energy is needed to heat the copper and water to 26oC?
The specific heat capacity of water is 4200 J kg-1 oC-1
The specific heat capacity of copper is 385 J kg-1 oC-1

E = mcΔT + mcΔT = (0.150 x 385 x 9) + (0.350 x 4200 x 9)

E = 519.75 + 13230 = 13749.75 = 13700 J

b) The energy in part(a) is supplied by a piece of brass of mass 30 g which is placed in a

hot flame until it reaches the same temperature as the flame. The piece of brass is then
put into the copper can with the water in it until they all reach 26oC.
Determine the temperature of the flame.
The specific heat capacity of brass is 380 J kg-1 oC-1

E = mcΔT = mc(Tf – 26) = 13750

Tf – 26 = 13750 / mc = 13750 / (0.030 x 380) = 1206
Tf = 1206 + 26 = 1232 = 1230oC

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5. What will be the final temperature if 250 ml of water at 25oC and 150 ml of water at
15oC are mixed together?

Heat loss of the 250ml = heat gain of the 150ml mcΔT = mcΔT

250 x 10-3 x 4200 x (25 – Tf) = 150 x 10-3 x 4200 x (Tf – 15)

250 x (25 – Tf) = 150 x (Tf – 15) 6250 – 250Tf = 150Tf – 2250

6250 + 2250 = 150Tf + 250Tf 8500 = 400Tf

Tf = 8500 / 400 = 21.25 = 21.3oC

6. How much energy is needed to melt a 2.25 kg block of ice?

The specific latent heat of fusion of water = 3.35 x 105 J kg-1

E = mL = 2.25 x 3.35 x 105 = 7.5375 x 105 = 7.54 x 105 J = 754 kJ

7. How much energy is needed to boil away 150 g of water that is at 100oC?
The specific latent heat of vaporisation of water is 2.26 x 106 J kg-1

E = mL = 0.150 x 2.26 x 106 = 3.39 x 105 = 339 kJ

8. A kettle is rated at 2.25 kW (its power is 2250 W). It is filled with 1.75 kg of water at 22oC.

a) How long will it take for the water to reach 100oC?

E = mcΔT = 1.75 x 4200 x (100 – 22) = 573300 J

P = E/t t = E/P = 573300 / 2250 = 254.8 s = 255 s

b) How long will it take to boil away 0.250 kg of the water after it has reached 100oC?

E = mL = 0.250 x 2.26 x 106 = 565000 J

P = E/t t = E/P = 565000 / 2250 = 251 s

c) State and explain whether the answer to parts (a) and (b) above are likely to be
correct/too large/too small to the actual times measured experimentally.

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Questions on Ideal Gases
1. State 3 of the assumptions in the ideal gas theory.

It is a pure gas No intermolecular forces except in collisions

Volume of the gas particles is negligible compared to volume of container
Motion is random Collisions are elastic Large number of particles

2. What is the pressure of a gas if 26.4 moles is contained in a volume of 3.85 m3 at a

temperature of 20oC?

T = 20oC = 20 + 273 = 293 K

pV = nRT p = nRT/V = 26.4 x 8.31 x 293 / 3.85 = 16696 = 16.7 kPa

3. What is the volume in litres of a sample of gas with 3.75 moles at a pressure of 250 kPa
and a temperature of 15oC?

T = 15oC = 15 + 273 = 288 K

V = nRT/p = 3.75 x 8.31 x 288 / 250 x 103 = 0.035899 m3 = 0.035899 x 1000 = 35.9 litres

4. A sample of gas is at pressure 348 kPa when at a temperature of 25oC in a volume of 78.5
litres. The gas is then allowed to cool down to 12oC and the pressure falls to 265 kPa.
What is the new volume of the gas?

T1 = 25oC = 25 + 273 = 298 K T2 = 12oC = 12 + 273 = 285 K

p1V1/T1 = p2V2/T2 V2 = p1V1T2/p2T1 = (348 x 103 x 78.5 x 10-3 x 285) / (265 x 103 x 298)

V2 = 0.098589 m3 = 98.6 litres

NOTE : If the solution uses kPa and litres instead of Pa and m3 it still works but the
temperatures must be in kelvin.

V2 = p1V1T2/p2T1 = (348 x 78.5 x 285) / (265 x 298) = 98.6 litres

5. Estimate the number of moles of gas in the room you are in. Air pressure is
approximately 1.0 x 105 Pa and take the temperature as 27oC.

Volume = 6 x 8 x 3 = 144 (This depends on the room) T = 27oC = 300 K

n = pV/RT = (1.0 x 105 x 144) / (8.31 x 300) = 5776 ≈ 6000 moles (It’s an estimate)

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6. A flask of gas has volume 600 ml and is at 22oC. The pressure inside it is 180 kPa.
a) How many moles of gas are in it?

T = 22oC = 22 + 273 = 295 K V = 600 ml = 600 x 10-6 m3

pV = nRT n = pV/RT = (180 x 103 x 600 x 10-6) / (8.31 x 295) = 0.0441 moles

b) How many molecules are in the flask?

N = n x NA = 0.04406 x 6.02 x 1023 = 2.65 x 1022 molecules

7. A container holds 5.39 x 1024 molecules of a gas. The pressure in the container is 325 kPa
when the temperature is 37oC.
a) What is the volume of the container?

n = N/NA = 5.39 x 1024 / 6.02 x 1023 = 8.953 T = 37 + 273 = 310 K

pV = nRT V = nRT/p = (8.953 x 8.31 x 310) / 325 x 103 = 0.070969 = 7.10 x 10-2 m3

OR pV = NkT V = NkT/p = (5.39 x 1024 x 1.38 x 10-23 x 310) / 325 x 103

V = 0.07094 = 7.09 x 10-2 m3 NOTE: there is a small difference in the answers

b) If the gas is then heated to 65oC what will be the pressure inside the container?

T = 65 + 273 = 338 K

pV = nRT p = nRT/V = 8.953 x 8.31 x 338 / 0.070969 = 3.543 x 105 = 354 kPa

OR

p1V1/T1 = p2V2/T2 V1 = V2 p2 = p1T2 / T1

p2 = 325 x 103 x 338 / 310 = 3.544 x 105 = 354 kPa

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Questions on Elasticity
1. Below are 3 stress/strain curves for 3 materials.

Identify these materials as A, B or C.

i) A brittle material such as glass – B

ii) A ductile material such as copper – C
iii) A strong material such as steel – A

2. A spring is extended by 37 mm when a mass of 270 g is suspended from it.

a) Determine the spring constant.

F = -kx k = F/x = mg/x = (0.270 x 9.81) / 37 x 10-3 = 71.6 N m-1

b) What mass would be needed to make the spring extend by 47 mm?

F = -kx = 71.59 x 47 x 10-3 = 3.365

F = mg m = F/g = 3.365 / 9.81 = 0.343 kg = 343 g

c) What would be the overall spring constant if two springs identical to the one in
part (a) were put together:

i) In series – ks = ½k = 0.5 x 71.59 = 35.8 N m-1

ii) In parallel – kp = 2k = 2 x 71.59 = 143 N m-1

3. What would be the extension of a spring with constant 64 N m-1 if a mass of 750 g was
suspended from it?

F = -kx x = F/k = mg/k = (0.750 x 9.81) / 64 = 0.115 m = 11.5 cm

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4. A wire has diameter 0.38 mm, length 1.85 m and is used to suspend a mass of 12.7 kg.
The Young’s Modulus of the wire is 1.48 x 1011 Pa.

a) Show clearly that the cross-sectional area of the wire is 1.13 x 10-7 m2.

A = πr2 = π x (0.19 x 10-3)2 = 1.134 x 10-7 = 1.13 x 10-7 m2

b) Find the extension of the wire.

FL FL 12.7 x 9.81 x 1.85 230.49

E= e= = 11 = = 0.0137 m = 13.7 mm
Ae AE 1.134 x 10−7 x 1.48 x 10 16783

c) What mass would be needed to be suspended to give an extension of 20.0 mm?

FL mgL
E= =
Ae Ae

AEe 1.134 x 10−7 x 1.48 x 1011 x 20.0 x 10−3 335.7

m= = = = 18.5 kg
gL 9.81 x 1.85 18.15

5. A wire with Young’s Modulus of 210 GPa and length 3.75 m has a mass of 28 kg
suspended from it. It extends by 8.5 mm.

a) Determine the cross-sectional area of the wire.

FL FL 28 x 9.81 x 3.75 1030

E= A= = = = 5.770 x 10-7 m2
Ae Ee 210 x 109 x 8.5 x 10−3 1.785 x 109

b) Determine the diameter of the wire.

A = πd2/4 d2 = 4A/π = (4 x 5.770 x 10-7)/π = 7.347 x 10-7

d = √(7.347 x 10-7) = 8.571 x 10-4 m = 0.857 mm

6. Define the Young’s Modulus of a material.

The Young’s Modulus of a material is the gradient of a stress/strain curve over the linear
section of the characteristic.

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