Ac vity 9.

3 Using the kine c model

Activity 9.2
Discuss how the kinetic model can explain some
observations.

You will need:

• shallow tray
• number of small balls

What to do
Here is a simple way to demonstrate the kinetic model of matter:
• Take a shallow tray and place in it a number of identical small
balls. They should cover about one-quarter of the area of
the tray.
• Tip the tray slightly so that the balls all roll to the lower end.
The pattern they form is like the arrangement of particles
in a solid.
• Keep the tray slightly tipped and shake it gently so that the
balls can move about. This is like a liquid.
• Keep shaking the tray and tip it so that it becomes horizontal.
The balls move around freely, colliding with each other and
the sides of the tray. This is like the particles in a gas.

Cambridge O Level Physics © Cambridge University Press 2012 Chapter 9: Activity sheet 1
This is quite a good way of representing the kinetic model. It
uses the balls to represent the particles of which matter is made.
However, the particles of matter attract each other, but the balls do
not. Instead, by tipping the tray, you use gravity to make the balls
move together as though they were attracting each other.
Your task is to answer one or more of the questions below. Select
a question and discuss how you would answer it with a partner.
In your answer, you must use the kinetic model. You may wish to
present your ideas to the class with the aid of the tray and balls
described above.

Questions
1 Why are there three states of matter?
2 How can a solid evaporate?
3 Why do liquids cool when they evaporate?
4 Why does it take time for a solid to melt? Why does it not
change instantly into a liquid?
5 Why does it take longer to boil a liquid than to melt a solid?
6 Why do different substances melt at different temperatures?
7 Why do different substances have different boiling points?

Cambridge O Level Physics © Cambridge University Press 2012 Chapter 9: Activity sheet 2
Ac vity 9.4 Pressure and volume of a
gas

Activity 9.3
Solve some problems involving Boyle’s law.

Questions
1 The picture shows an experiment to investigate how the volume
of a gas depends on its pressure. The cylinder contains nitrogen
gas. Pushing in the piston increases the pressure, as shown on
the gauge. The volume of the gas can be read from the scale, to
the nearest 1 cm3.

nitrogen

oil
pressure gauge

piston

Cambridge O Level Physics © Cambridge University Press 2012 Chapter 9: Activity sheet 3
The table shows the results from the experiment.

Pressure, p Volume, V
/ kPa / cm3
75 26
90 22
105 19
120 16
135 14
150 13

a Copy the table and add a third column. In the third column,
add values of p × V. Does this value appear to be constant, as
suggested by Boyle’s law?
b Plot a graph of V against p. Use it to deduce the volume of
the nitrogen gas at atmospheric pressure (100 kPa).
c During the experiment, the experimenter changed the
pressure on the gas and then waited for a short while
until the volume of the gas fell to a steady value. Explain
why this was necessary.
2 A tank contains 120 m3 of air at atmospheric pressure
(100 kPa). It is submerged in water to a depth where the
pressure is 450 kPa. What will its volume become at this
pressure? (Assume that the air obeys Boyle’s law.)
3 A cylinder of oxygen gas contains 400 cm3 of air at a pressure
of 20 atmospheres. If the oxygen is released so that its pressure
falls to 1 atmosphere, what volume will it occupy?

Cambridge O Level Physics © Cambridge University Press 2012 Chapter 9: Activity sheet 4