Paramount Physics Cafe

Teaching A2 Physics skills

Physics
Advanced Level

Chapter @ Matter (Ideal gases)

1 Determine the number of atoms or molecules in each of the following.
a 1.0 mole of carbon
b 3.6 moles of water
c 0.26 moles of helium

2. The molar mass of uranium is 238 g.

a Calculate the mass of one atom of uranium.
b A small rock contains 0.12 g of uranium. For this rock, calculate the number of:
i moles of uranium
ii atoms of uranium.

3.Explain what is meant by the absolute zero of temperature.

4. a Write the ideal gas equation in words.

b One mole of an ideal gas is trapped inside a rigid container of volume 0.020 m 3.
Calculate the pressure exerted by the gas when the temperature within the container is 293 K.

5. A fixed amount of an ideal gas is trapped in a container of volume V. The pressure exerted by
the gas is P and its absolute temperature is T.
a Using a sketch of PV against T, explain how you can determine the number of moles of gas within
the container.
b Sketch a graph of PV against P when the gas is kept at a constant temperature. Explain the
shape of the graph.

6. A rigid cylinder of volume 0.030 m3 holds 4.0 g of air. The molar mass of air is about 29 g.

a Calculate the pressure exerted by the air when its temperature is 34 °C.

b What is the temperature of the gas in degrees Celsius when the pressure is twice your value
from part a?

7. The diagram shows two insulated containers holding gas. The containers are connected together
by tubes of negligible volume.
The internal volume of each container is 2.0×10−2 m3. The temperature within each container is
−13 °C. The gas in container A exerts a pressure of 180 kPa and the gas in container B exerts a
pressure of 300 kPa.

a Show that the amount of gas within the two containers is about 4.4 moles.

b The valve connecting the containers is slowly opened and the gases are allowed to mix.
The temperature within the containers remains the same. Calculate the new pressure exerted by
the gas within the containers.

8. The mean speed of a helium atom at a temperature of 0 °C is 1.3 km s–1. Estimate the mean
speed of helium atoms on the surface of a star where the temperature is 10 000 K.

9. The surface temperature of the Sun is about 5400 K. On its surface, particles behave like the
atoms of an ideal gas. The atmosphere of the Sun mainly consists of hydrogen nuclei. These nuclei
move in random motion.
a Explain what is meant by random motion.

b i Calculate the mean translational kinetic energy of a hydrogen nucleus

on the surface of the Sun.

ii Estimate the mean speed of such a hydrogen nucleus.

(The mass of hydrogen nucleus is 1.7 × 10−27 kg.)

10 a Calculate the mean translational kinetic energy of gas atoms at 0 °C.

b Estimate the mean speed of carbon dioxide molecules at 0 °C.

(The molar mass of carbon dioxide is 44 g.)

c Calculate the change in the internal energy of one mole of carbon dioxide gas when its
temperature changes from 0 °C to 100 °C.

11. (a) The mean kinetic energy <EK> of a molecule of an ideal gas is given by the expression
3
<EK> = 2
kT , where k is the Boltzmann constant and T is the thermodynamic temperature of
the gas. A cylinder contains 1.0 mol of an ideal gas. The gas is heated so that its temperature
changes from 280 K to 460 K. Calculate the change in total kinetic energy of the gas molecules.

(b) A cylinder contains 1.0 mol of an ideal gas.

(i) The volume of the cylinder is constant.

Calculate the energy required to raise the temperature of the gas by 1.0 kelvin.
12. (a) State what is meant by an ideal gas.
(b)(i). Two cylinders A and B are connected by a tube of negligible volume, as shown in Fig. 12.1.

3.4 × 105 Pa and temperature 300 K. Show that cylinder A contains 0.34 mol of gas.

(ii) Cylinder B has a constant volume of 1.6 × 10 3 cm3 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.

13. The air in a car tyre has a constant volume of 3.1 × 10–2 m3. The pressure of this air is
2.9 × 105Pa at a temperature of 17 °C. The air may be considered to be an ideal gas.

(a) Calculate the amount of air, in mol, in the tyre.

(b) The pressure in the tyre is to be increased using a pump. On each stroke of the pump, 0.012
mol of air is forced into the tyre. Calculate the number of strokes of the pump required to increase
the pressure to 3.4 × 105 Pa at a temperature of 27 °C.

Answer : Ideal gases

1.a. 6.0 × 1023 b. 2.2 × 1024 c. 1.6 × 1023

2.a. 4.0 × 10−25 kg b.i, 5.0 × 10–4 ii. 3.1 × 1020

3. The absolute zero of temperature is –273.15 °C or 0 K. This is the lowest temperature

any substance can have.
At absolute zero of temperature, the substance has minimum internal energy.

4. a Pressure × volume = number of moles × universal gas constant × thermodynamic

temperature
b. 1.2 × 105 Pa (120 kPa)
5.

6 .a. 1.2 × 104 Pa (12 kPa) b. 340 °C

7.a. 4.4 moles b. 2.4 × 105 Pa (240 kPa)

8. Mean kinetic energy of atom ∝ absolute temperature

: ½ mv2 ∝ T or v2 ∝ 2T/m :
Since the mass m of the atom is constant, we have: v ∝ √T
: The temperature of 0 °C in kelvin is T = 273 K
The absolute temperature increases by a factor of = 10 000/273 (= 36.6)
10 000
:Hence the speed will increase by a factor of = = 6.05
273
: The speed of the atoms at 10 000 K = 1.3 × 6.05 ≈ 7.9 km s–1

9. a The particles have a range of speeds and travel in different directions.

b i .1 × 10–19 J ii. 11 km s–1

10.a, 5.7 × 10–21 J b. 390 m s–1

c. change in internal energy = 1.2465 kJ ≈ 1.2 kJ

11. a. 2240 J . b. 12.5 J (12J if 2 s.f.)

12. (a) obeys the equation pV = constant × T or pV = nRT

p, V and T explained ,at all values of p, V and T/fixed mass/n is constant

(b) i. 3.4 × 105 × 2.5 × 103 × 10–6 = n × 8.31 × 300

n = 0.34 mol
ii. T = 360 K

13.a. 3.73 mol

b.