3.

2 Past Paper Questions

1. When a gas in a cylinder is compressed at constant temperature by a piston, the

pressure of the gas increases. Consider the following three statements.

I. The rate at which the molecules collide with the piston increases.

II. The average speed of the molecules increases.

III. The molecules collide with each other more often.

Which statement(s) correctly explain the increase in pressure?

A. I only B. II only

C. I and II only D. I and III only

2. A container holds 20 g of neon (mass number 20) and also 8 g of helium (mass number
4).

number of atoms of neon

What is the ratio ?
number of atoms of helium

A. 0.4 B. 0.5

C. 2.0 D. 2.5

3. The equation of state for an ideal gas, pV = nRT, describes the behaviour of real gases

A. only at low pressures and large volumes. (volume is irrelevant)

B. only at high temperatures.

C. only at large volumes and large pressures.

D. at all pressures and volumes.

4. The temperature of an ideal gas is reduced. Which one of the following statements is
true?

A. The molecules collide with the walls of the container less frequently.

B. The molecules collide with each other more frequently.

C. The time of contact between the molecules and the wall is reduced.

D. The time of contact between molecules is increased.

5. Two identical boxes X and Y each contain an ideal gas.

Box X Box Y

n moles 2n moles
temperature T T
temperature
3
pressure PX pressure PY

In box X there are n moles of the gas at temperature T and pressure PX. In box Y there
T
are 2n moles of the gas at temperature and pressure PY.
3

PX
The ratio is
PY

2 3
A. B.
3 2

C. 2 D. 3

6. The Kelvin temperature of an ideal gas is a measure of the

A. average speed of the molecules.

B. average momentum of the molecules.

C. average kinetic energy of the molecules.

D. average potential energy of the molecules.

7. Which one of the graphs below shows the relationship between the internal energy of
an ideal gas (y-axis) and the absolute temperature of the gas (x-axis)?

y
y

0
0 x 0
A 0 x
B
y y

0 0
0 x 0 x
C D
8. The temperature of a room increases from 283 K to 293 K. The r.m.s. speed of the air
molecules in the room increases by a factor of

A 1.02 B 1.04

C 1.41 D 2.00

9. An ideal gas forms an isolated system. It now undergoes changes such that there is no
change in its internal energy. Which other quantity must also remain unchanged.

A The temperature of the gas B The volume of the gas

C The pressure of the gas D The total work done on or by the gas

10. The graph shows the relation between the product pressure volume, pV, and
temperature, , in degrees Celsius for 1 mol of an ideal gas for which the molar gas constant is
R.

P V/J

0 /C

Which one of the following expressions gives the gradient of this graph?

1 pV
A B
273

pV
C D R
( 273)

11. At a certain temperature, the root-mean-square speed of the molecules of a fixed

volume of an ideal gas is c. The temperature of the gas is changed so that the pressure
is halved. The root-mean-square speed of the molecules becomes

c c
A B
4 2

c
C D 2c
2 p
A B
12. In the diagram the dashed line X shows the variation of
X
pressure, p, with absolute temperature, T, for 1 mol of an C
ideal gas in a container of fixed volume.
D
Which line, A, B, C or D shows the variation for 2 mol of the
gas in the same container?
0
0 T
 A

Extended Questions

1. A quantity of gas is enclosed in a metal cylinder fitted with a piston. There are very many gas
molecules, but they are represented in the diagram by the ten molecules shown, with velocities
indicated. The cylinder walls are thermally conducting.

(a) Explain in terms of molecular motions how pressure arises on the face of the piston. [2]

_____________________________________________________________________

The moving molecules rebound of the piston. As they change momentum they
exert a force and hence a pressure on the piston.

_____________________________________________________________________

(b) If gravity acts on the molecules, why do they not all fall down and accumulate stationary at the
lower surface? Explain. [2]

Their kinetic energy is a lot bigger than their potential energy so they keep
moving around. (gravity will cause slightly more molecules at the bottom. This
is why air pressure reduces with altitude.)

Suppose the piston is moved outwards with sufficient time allowed so that the gas temperature is
the same afterwards. The diagram below shows the piston position where the gas volume has
doubled.

(c) How does the average kinetic energy of the gas molecules compare before and after this
expansion? Explain. [2]

Anyone who says that they can contemplate quantum mechanics without becoming dizzy has not understood
the concept in the least. Neils Bohr
 It is the same. Temperature is the same and temperature is a measure of average
KE.

(d) Draw in ten representative gas molecules on the diagram above, including representative
velocity vectors, to illustrate the situation after expansion. Explain your diagram briefly.
[2]

Draw 10 molecules with similar arrows to first diagram, spread randomly

throughout the volume.

KE same so speed same. The molecules have spread out to fill the container.

_____________________________________________________________________

(e) Explain, in terms of molecular motion, why the pressure exerted by the gas on the piston is
less in the expanded situation you have drawn. [2]

The molecules are more spread out so they hit the walls less frequently exerting
less pressure.

2. Helium is a monatomic gas for which all the internal energy of the molecules may be
considered to be translational kinetic energy.

molar mass of helium = 4.0 103 kg

the Boltzmann constant = 1.38 1023 J K1
the Avogadro constant = 6.02 1023 mol1

(a) Calculate the kinetic energy of a tennis ball of mass 60g travelling at 50 m s1. (1)

1 1
m =
2 2
kinetic energy of ball = 0.060 (50) = 75 J (1)
2 2

(b) Calculate the internal energy of 1.0g of helium gas at a temperature of 48 K.

3 3
kinetic energy of one atom kT (1) ( 1.38 1023 T)
2 2

one gram contains

1
4

NA 1.5 10 23 atoms (1)

3
total internal energy = 1.5 1023 1.38 1023 48 = 150 J (1) 3
2

(c) At what temperature would the internal energy of 1.0g of helium gas be equal to
the kinetic energy of the ball in part (a).

energy of helium gas at 48 K is twice that of tennis ball

energies equal when helium gas has a temperature of 24 K (1)
(Total 5 marks)
3. (a) The diagram shows curves (not to scale) relating pressure p, and volume, V, for a fixed
mass of an ideal monatomic gas at 300 K and 500 K. The gas is in a container which is
closed by a piston which can move with negligible friction.

molar gas constant, R, = 8.31 J mol1 K1

p/10 4 Pa

C
8.00 A
500 K
300 K

0
3 3
0 2.00 V/10 m

2
(i) Show that the number of moles of gas in the container is 6.4 10

correct p and V from graph (1)

3
n = 8.00 10 2.00 10 (1) (= 0.064 mol)
4

8.31 300

(ii) Calculate the volume of the gas at point C on the graph.

T2 3 3
(ii) V2 = V1 = 3.3 10 m (1)
T1
(b) (i) Give an expression for the total kinetic energy of the molecules in one mole of an
ideal gas at kelvin temperature T.
3
RT or 3 NAkT (1)
2 2

(ii) Calculate the total kinetic energy of the molecules of the gas in the container at point A
on the graph.

Explain why this equals the total internal energy for an ideal gas.

3
total kinetic energy nRT = 1.5 8.3 0.064 300 (1) = 239 J (1)
2
molecules have no potential energy (1)
no attractive forces [or elastic collisions occur] (1) max 4

(d) Calculate the heat energy absorbed by the gas in the change from A to B,

3
U = nR(500 300) = 159 J (1)(= Q)
2

4. (a) State two quantities which increase when the temperature of a given mass of gas is
increased at constant volume.

(i) pressure (1)

(ii) (average) kinetic energy

(2)

(b) A car tyre of volume 1.0 102 m3 contains air at a pressure of 300 kPa and a
temperature of 290 K. The mass of one mole of air is 2.9 102 kg. Assuming that the
air behaves as an ideal gas, calculate

(i) n, the amount, in mol, of air,

pV = nRT (1)
1.0 10 2 300 10 3
n= (1)
8.31 290
= 1.20(mol) (1) (1.24 mol)

(iii) the mass of the air,

mass of air = 1.24 29 103 = 0.036 kg (1)

(allow e.c.f from(i))
 (iv) the density of the air.

0.0360
= 1 10 2 3
= 3.6 kg m (allow e.c.f. from(ii)) (5)

(c) Air contains oxygen and nitrogen molecules. State, with a reason, whether the
following are the same for oxygen and nitrogen molecules in air at a given
temperature.

(i) The average kinetic energy per molecule

same (1)
because the temperature is the same (1)

_____________________________________________________________________

(ii) The average speed of the molecules

different (1)
because the mass of the molecules are different (1)
_____________________________________________________________________
(4)
(Total 11 marks)
5
5. Nitrogen at 20 C and a pressure of 1.1 10 Pa is held in a glass gas syringe as shown below.
5 3 5
The gas, of original volume 8.5 10 m , is compressed to a volume of 5.8 10 m3 by
placing a mass on to the plunger of the syringe. The new pressure of the gas is 1.9 105 Pa.

mass

nitrogen

seal
(a) (i) Calculate the new temperature of the nitrogen. Give your answer in C.

pV/T = constant in any form

correct substitution including absolute temperatures / 345 K

72 C not 345 K

condone no unit and condone just (3)

(ii) Calculate the number of moles of nitrogen present in the syringe.

molar gas constant, R = 8.3 J mol1 K1

pV = nRT

1.9 10 5 5.8 10 5 1.91 10 5 8.5 10 5

correct substitution: n = or
8.3 345 8.3 293

3.8(5) 103 (mol) or 3.8(4) 103 (mol)

e.c.f. for their (a)(i) 3

(iii) The mass of the nitrogen in the syringe is 1.1 104 kg. Calculate the mean square
speed of the molecules when the gas has been compressed.

3.0 105 m2 s2

(v) Explain, in terms of the behaviour of the nitrogen molecules, how the gas exerts a
greater pressure than it did before it was compressed.

molecules move faster/ have more KE

greater number of collisions (per second) (between molecules and wall)

not between molecules

greater (rate of) change in momentum in each collision 3

_____________________________________________________________________
(3)