Pearson Edexcel GCSE Combined Science · P14

Particle model

50 revision questions with answers for P14 Particle model in Pearson Edexcel GCSE Combined Science (spec 1SC0). Practise with flashcards, a topic quiz, a random quiz across the course, 5 crosswords, or read every question and answer below. Not official Pearson material.

All 50 questions and answers

Question 1 · Spec P14.1
Describe particle arrangement and movement in a solid.
Answer:
Particles are closely packed in fixed positions and vibrate about them.
Question 2 · Spec P14.1
Describe particle arrangement and movement in a liquid.
Answer:
Particles remain close but are irregularly arranged and move past each other.
Question 3 · Spec P14.1
Describe particle arrangement and movement in a gas.
Answer:
Particles are widely spaced and move rapidly and randomly.
Question 4 · Spec P14.2
State the density equation.
Answer:
Density = mass/volume, ρ = m/V.
Question 5 · Spec P14.2
Give SI units for density, mass and volume.
Answer:
kg/m³, kg and m³ respectively.
Question 6 · Spec P14.2
Find density for mass 0.80 kg and volume 0.00040 m³.
Answer:
0.80/0.00040 = 2,000 kg/m³.
Question 7 · Spec P14.2
Find mass for density 900 kg/m³ and volume 0.0020 m³.
Answer:
m = 900 × 0.0020 = 1.8 kg.
Question 8 · Spec P14.2
Find volume for mass 2.7 kg and density 2,700 kg/m³.
Answer:
V = 2.7/2,700 = 0.0010 m³.
Question 9 · Spec P14.4
Why are gases generally much less dense than solids and liquids?
Answer:
There are far fewer particles, and therefore less mass, per unit volume.
Question 10 · Spec P14.4
Why is particle arrangement important when comparing ice and liquid water?
Answer:
Ice has a more open arrangement, so the same mass occupies more volume and has lower density.
Question 11 · Spec P14.3 · Core practical
How is a regular solid's density measured?
Answer:
Measure mass and dimensions, calculate volume and divide mass by volume.
Question 12 · Spec P14.3 · Core practical
How is an irregular solid's volume measured?
Answer:
Use the volume of liquid displaced when the object is fully submerged.
Question 13 · Spec P14.3 · Core practical
How can liquid density be measured?
Answer:
Measure the mass of a known volume, subtracting the empty container's mass.
Question 14 · Spec P14.3 · Core practical
Why tare the balance with the empty container?
Answer:
To measure liquid mass alone.
Question 15 · Spec P14.3 · Core practical
How should a measuring-cylinder meniscus be read?
Answer:
At eye level, usually at the bottom of the water meniscus.
Question 16 · Spec P14.3 · Core practical
Why use callipers or a micrometer for a small solid?
Answer:
Their finer resolution can reduce relative dimensional uncertainty.
Question 17 · Spec P14.3 · Core practical
How do trapped air bubbles affect displaced-volume measurements?
Answer:
They increase apparent volume and therefore make calculated density too low.
Question 18 · Spec P14.3 · Core practical
Why repeat measurements at several positions on a regular solid?
Answer:
It checks shape consistency and reduces the influence of random reading errors.
Question 19 · Spec P14.5
Name the changes solid-liquid, liquid-gas and gas-liquid.
Answer:
Melting, boiling or evaporation, and condensation respectively.
Question 20 · Spec P14.5
Why is mass conserved during a change of state?
Answer:
The same particles remain, even though arrangement and movement change.
Question 21 · Spec P14.5
Why are state changes physical rather than chemical?
Answer:
They form no new substance and can restore original material properties when reversed.
Question 22 · Spec P14.6
What is internal energy in particle terms?
Answer:
The total kinetic and potential energy of the particles making up the system.
Question 23 · Spec P14.6
What can heating do to a system?
Answer:
Raise its temperature or cause a change of state.
Question 24 · Spec P14.6
Why can energy increase without a temperature rise during melting?
Answer:
Energy changes particle interactions rather than increasing their average kinetic energy.
Question 25 · Spec P14.7
Define specific heat capacity.
Answer:
Energy needed to raise the temperature of 1 kg of material by 1 °C.
Question 26 · Spec P14.8
State the specific-heat-capacity equation.
Answer:
Change in thermal energy = mass x specific heat capacity x temperature change.
Question 27 · Spec P14.8
Find energy to heat 0.50 kg water by 8 °C. c = 4,200 J/(kg °C).
Answer:
0.50 × 4,200 × 8 = 16,800 J.
Question 28 · Spec P14.8
A 2 kg material rises 10 °C after receiving 9,000 J. Find c.
Answer:
c = 9,000/(2 × 10) = 450 J/(kg °C).
Question 29 · Spec P14.8
Find temperature rise for 2,000 J heating 0.50 kg with c = 400 J/(kg °C).
Answer:
Rise = 2,000/(0.50 × 400) = 10 °C.
Question 30 · Spec P14.7
Define specific latent heat.
Answer:
Energy needed to change the state of 1 kg without changing temperature.
Question 31 · Spec P14.7
What is specific latent heat of fusion?
Answer:
Energy per kilogram for the solid-liquid state change at constant temperature.
Question 32 · Spec P14.7
What is specific latent heat of vaporisation?
Answer:
Energy per kilogram for the liquid-gas state change at constant temperature.
Question 33 · Spec P14.9
State the latent-heat equation.
Answer:
Q = mL, with energy in J, mass in kg and L in J/kg.
Question 34 · Spec P14.9
Find energy to melt 0.10 kg ice. L = 334,000 J/kg.
Answer:
0.10 × 334,000 = 33,400 J.
Question 35 · Spec P14.9
Find energy to vaporise 0.020 kg water. L = 2,260,000 J/kg.
Answer:
0.020 × 2,260,000 = 45,200 J.
Question 36 · Spec P14.11 · Core practical
What does a plateau on a melting-ice temperature-time graph indicate?
Answer:
Energy is causing a state change while temperature stays approximately constant.
Question 37 · Spec P14.7
How does freezing at constant temperature affect energy?
Answer:
Energy is transferred to the surroundings while the liquid becomes solid.
Question 38 · Spec P14.11 · Core practical
Outline measuring water's specific heat capacity.
Answer:
Measure water mass, heat with a known energy input, measure temperature rise and calculate c = E/(m x rise).
Question 39 · Spec P14.11 · Core practical
How can heater energy input be measured?
Answer:
Use a joulemeter or calculate E = IVt from measured voltage, current and heating time.
Question 40 · Spec P14.11 · Core practical
How is water mass found without including its container?
Answer:
Subtract empty-container mass from container-plus-water mass.
Question 41 · Spec P14.10
How can unwanted energy transfer be reduced in a heating experiment?
Answer:
Insulate the container and use a lid while allowing safe operation.
Question 42 · Spec P14.11 · Core practical
Why can heat loss make calculated specific heat capacity too high?
Answer:
Recorded input includes energy not heating the water, so E/(m x rise) is overestimated.
Question 43 · Spec P14.11 · Core practical
How is the melting-ice temperature-time graph obtained?
Answer:
Warm crushed ice steadily, recording temperature at regular intervals through melting and into the liquid-water stage.
Question 44 · Spec P14.11 · Core practical
Why stir gently and keep the sensor in the sample rather than against the vessel?
Answer:
To measure a representative sample temperature instead of a local hot or cold region.
Question 45 · Spec P14.12
How do gas particles produce pressure?
Answer:
Collisions exert forces on container walls; force per unit area gives pressure.
Question 46 · Spec P14.13
Why does heating a sealed rigid gas container increase pressure?
Answer:
Particles move faster and collide with walls more frequently and with greater force.
Question 47 · Spec P14.13
Why specify constant volume and fixed gas mass in that explanation?
Answer:
Changing volume or particle number could also change pressure, confusing temperature's effect.
Question 48 · Spec P14.14
What is absolute zero in the GCSE particle model?
Answer:
About -273 °C, the limiting temperature associated with no random particle movement in the simple model.
Question 49 · Spec P14.15
Convert 25 °C to kelvin using 273.
Answer:
25 + 273 = 298 K.
Question 50 · Spec P14.15
Convert 310 K to Celsius using 273.
Answer:
310 − 273 = 37 °C.

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