Particle Model of MatterAQA GCSE Physics: Topic test

20 questions, 54 marks

AQA GCSE Physics

Particle Model of Matter topic test

Total 54 marks

Name

Class

Date

1
A joiner has a rectangular offcut of timber with a mass of 0.72 kg and a volume of 0.0009 m^3.
(a)
Which equation should be used to calculate the density of the timber offcut?
[1 mark]
Arho = m/V
Brho = V/m
Crho = mV
Drho = m + V
(b)
A second, denser type of timber has the same mass as the offcut above. How does its volume compare with the offcut's volume?
[1 mark]
AIt must be larger
BIt must be exactly the same
CThere is not enough information to say
DIt must be smaller
(c)
Calculate the density of the timber offcut. Give the equation used, your working, and the final answer with unit.
[2 marks]
Total for question 1: 4 marks
2
A candle maker gently heats solid wax in a container using an electric heating mantle, and records its temperature every minute as the wax melts into a liquid and its temperature continues to rise.
(a)
While the wax is melting, what happens to its temperature?
[1 mark]
AIt rises steadily
BIt stays constant
CIt falls
DIt rises then falls repeatedly
(b)
While the wax's temperature stays constant during melting, what is happening to the energy supplied by the heating mantle?
[1 mark]
AIt is destroyed
BIt increases the kinetic energy of the wax particles, raising their temperature
CIt is used to overcome the forces of attraction between particles, changing the arrangement of the particles
DIt is entirely reflected away from the wax
(c)
Explain, in terms of internal energy, why the wax's temperature stops rising while it is melting, even though the heating mantle continues to supply energy.
[2 marks]
Total for question 2: 4 marks
3
A catering company uses an electric urn containing 5 kg of water to heat water for tea. The specific heat capacity of water is 4200 J/kg C. The water starts at 18 C.
(a)
Calculate the energy needed to heat the 5 kg of water from 18 C to 100 C. Give the equation used, your working, and the final answer with unit.
[3 marks]
(b)
The urn's heating element has a power output of 2870 W, and transfers all of this power usefully to the water. Calculate how long it takes to heat the 5 kg of water from 18 C to 100 C, giving your answer in seconds.
[4 marks]
Total for question 3: 7 marks
4
An engineer is testing a sealed bicycle pump containing a fixed mass of trapped air, and separately investigating an engine coolant made from a mixture of water and antifreeze, which has a lower specific heat capacity than pure water.
(a)
The engineer rapidly compresses the trapped air in the sealed pump by pushing the piston in quickly, reducing its volume while the outlet is sealed. Explain, using the particle model, why the temperature of the trapped air increases as it is compressed in this way, and why the gas pressure inside the pump also increases.
[6 marks]
(b)
The coolant mixture has a lower specific heat capacity than pure water. Explain what this means, and evaluate why engineers might still choose this coolant mixture over pure water for an engine cooling system, given that the mixture also has a much lower freezing point than pure water.
[6 marks]
Total for question 4: 12 marks
5
A scrap metal dealer has two ingots of exactly equal volume, 0.002 m^3. Ingot X has a mass of 15.6 kg and ingot Y has a mass of 22.6 kg.
(a)
Which ingot has the greater density?
[1 mark]
AIngot X
BThey have exactly equal density
CIngot Y
DIt cannot be determined from the information given
(b)
Which statement about the particles making up the two ingots best explains the difference in density?
[1 mark]
AIngot Y's particles move faster on average than ingot X's
BIngot Y has a higher temperature than ingot X
CIngot Y contains more empty space between its particles than ingot X
DIngot Y's particles are arranged more closely together and/or are individually more massive than ingot X's
(c)
Calculate the density of ingot Y. Give the equation used, your working, and the final answer with unit.
[2 marks]
Total for question 5: 4 marks
6
A technician melts a sample of a pure substance completely, then leaves it to cool at a steady rate in a draught-free room, recording its temperature every 30 seconds until it has fully solidified again.
(a)
As the liquid substance cools but before it begins to solidify, what happens to its temperature?
[1 mark]
AIt falls steadily
BIt stays exactly constant
CIt rises steadily
DIt falls then immediately rises
(b)
While the substance is freezing (changing from liquid to solid), what happens to its temperature, and why?
[1 mark]
AIt falls steadily, because the particles continuously lose kinetic energy
BIt stays constant, because energy is being released as the particles form a more ordered arrangement rather than changing their average kinetic energy
CIt rises, because freezing absorbs energy from the surroundings
DIt stays constant because the substance has stopped losing energy altogether
(c)
Explain, in terms of internal energy, why the substance's temperature remains constant for a period while it is freezing.
[2 marks]
Total for question 6: 4 marks
7
A materials laboratory heats a 3 kg block of aluminium, with specific heat capacity 900 J/kg C, from 15 C using an electrical heater embedded inside the block.
(a)
Calculate the energy required to raise the temperature of the aluminium block from 15 C to 215 C. Give the equation used, your working, and the final answer with unit.
[3 marks]
(b)
The heater embedded in the block has a power output of 1800 W and transfers all of this power usefully to the block. Calculate how long it takes to heat the block from 15 C to 215 C, giving your answer in seconds and in minutes.
[4 marks]
Total for question 7: 7 marks
8
A hot air balloon pilot heats the air trapped inside the balloon's envelope using a gas burner. The envelope is open at the base, so as the trapped air is heated, some of it is free to expand and escape from the opening, while the overall gas pressure inside stays approximately equal to the pressure of the outside air.
(a)
Explain, using the particle model, why heating the air inside the balloon envelope causes some of the air to expand out through the open base, given that the pressure inside stays approximately equal to the pressure outside.
[6 marks]
(b)
Explain, using the idea of density, why the balloon rises once enough of the air inside the envelope has been heated, and evaluate why the pilot must periodically use the burner again to keep the balloon flying level.
[6 marks]
Total for question 8: 12 marks

End of questions