Ideal gas molecules: Edexcel International GCSE Physics questions

Every Edexcel International GCSE Physics exam question on Ideal gas molecules (specification points 5.15–5.22), 2019–2025, with its mark scheme and examiner’s report.

All 68 questions on Ideal gas molecules, as a list

June 2025, Paper 1, Q7(a)(ii) (3 marks): The diagram shows the air bubbles rising to the surface of the water in a container. container water bubbles Explain why the bubbles increase in volume as they
November 2024, Paper 1, Q7(c)(i) (3 marks): Explain how the air exerts pressure on the walls of the storage tank. (3)
November 2024, Paper 1, Q7(c)(ii) (4 marks): The air in the storage tank starts at a pressure of 410 kPa. As the submarine rises, the air in the storage tank increases in temperature from 2.5 °C to 18 °C.
June 2024, Paper 1, Q9(a) (1 mark): During an aeroplane flight, a passenger drinks some water from a plastic bottle. The passenger then replaces the top to seal the bottle, as shown in diagram 1.
June 2024, Paper 1, Q9(b) (2 marks): As the aeroplane descends, the air pressure inside the aeroplane changes. When the aeroplane lands, the passenger notices that the plastic bottle has collapsed,
June 2024, Paper 1, Q9(c) (3 marks): Explain how gas molecules in the air exert a pressure on the surface of the bottle. (3)
June 2024, Paper 2, Q8(a) (1 mark): The water bath is filled with water at an initial temperature of 15 °C. Calculate the initial temperature of the water in kelvin. (1) initial temperature = K
June 2024, Paper 2, Q8(b)(i) (2 marks): Describe how the energy of the water molecules changes as the temperature of the water increases. (2)
June 2024 (R), Paper 1, Q11(a) (2 marks): Diagram 1 shows some of the molecules of a gas in a sealed container. Diagram 1 The molecules collide with all the surfaces of the container. This exerts an out
June 2024 (R), Paper 1, Q11(b) (4 marks): The width of the container is slowly decreased so that the volume of the container is smaller than before. Diagram 2 shows the width of the container before and
November 2023, Paper 1, Q11(b)(i) (3 marks): Explain why the pressure of the trapped gas increases as its temperature increases. (3)
November 2023, Paper 1, Q11(b)(ii) (4 marks): The temperature of the trapped gas increases from 23 °C to 38 °C. The pressure of the trapped gas is 12 kPa when its temperature is 23 °C. Calculate the pressur
November 2023, Paper 2, Q5(a) (1 mark): The steam is cooled from an initial temperature of 150 °C. Calculate the initial temperature of the steam in kelvin (K). (1) initial temperature = K
June 2023, Paper 1, Q9(c) (3 marks): Explain how the gas pressure changes if the temperature of the gas increases. You should use ideas about particles in your answer. (3)
January 2023, Paper 1, Q11(a)(i) (3 marks): Explain how the atoms exert a pressure on the walls of the container. (3)
January 2023, Paper 1, Q11(a)(ii) (2 marks): Explain why the pressure of the gas in the container decreases as its temperature decreases. The volume of the container does not change. (2)
January 2023, Paper 1, Q11(b) (4 marks): Diagram 2 shows a device called a magneto-optical trap (MOT). Physicists use the device to cool gases to extremely low temperatures. The MOT uses laser beams an
January 2023 (R), Paper 1, Q3(b)(iv) (3 marks): At the surface, where the pressure is 1.0 × 105 Pa, the balloon has a volume of 0.46 m3. Calculate the volume of the balloon at a depth of 25 m. (3) volume = m3
June 2022 (R), Paper 1, Q9(a) (3 marks): Describe how the air molecules in the container exert a pressure on its inner walls. (3)
June 2022 (R), Paper 1, Q9(b) (2 marks): The container is heated for a long time. Explain what happens to the number of air molecules in the container. (2)
June 2022 (R), Paper 1, Q9(c) (2 marks): A lid is placed on the hot container. The lid seals the hole and the container is allowed to cool. As the container cools, it collapses. container collapsed wit
January 2022, Paper 1, Q11(a)(i) (2 marks): The pressure of the air inside the balloon is reduced to 64 kPa by reducing the external air pressure. Calculate the new volume of the balloon. (2) volume = m3
January 2022, Paper 1, Q11(a)(ii) (1 mark): Give an assumption that is made in the calculation. (1)
January 2022, Paper 1, Q11(b)(i) (3 marks): Explain why the pressure of the air in the balloon decreases when the temperature of the air decreases. (3)
January 2022, Paper 1, Q11(b)(ii) (3 marks): Calculate the temperature of the air when the pressure of the air in the balloon is 64 kPa. Give your answer in kelvin. (3) temperature = K
January 2022 (R), Paper 1, Q11(a) (3 marks): Before being pumped into the tyre, some air has a volume of 0.0043 m3 at a pressure of 100 kPa. The pressure of this air inside the tyre is 270 kPa. Calculate t
January 2022 (R), Paper 1, Q11(b)(i) (3 marks): Using ideas about particles, explain why the air pressure inside the tyre is lower on a cold winter day than on a warm summer day. (3)
January 2022 (R), Paper 1, Q11(b)(ii) (4 marks): The air pressure in the tyre is 270 kPa when the air temperature is 20 °C. On a cold winter day, the temperature is 2 °C. Determine whether the tyre pressure wa
November 2021, Paper 1, Q9(b)(i) (2 marks): Describe how the graph can be used to show that there is a minimum value of temperature, known as absolute zero. (2)
November 2021, Paper 1, Q9(b)(ii) (1 mark): Give the value of absolute zero in °C. (1) absolute zero = °C
November 2021, Paper 1, Q9(b)(iii) (2 marks): Temperature can also be measured in kelvin. On the axes below, sketch a graph to show how the pressure of a gas varies with its kelvin temperature. (2) Pressure
November 2021, Paper 2, Q3(b)(ii) (2 marks): Explain why the pressure of the air increases as its temperature increases. (2)
November 2021, Paper 2, Q3(b)(iii) (1 mark): Using the graph, determine the pressure of the air when its temperature is 400 K. (1) pressure = . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
November 2021, Paper 2, Q3(b)(iv) (3 marks): The air in the flask is now cooled to a temperature of 230 K. Calculate the new pressure of the air. (3) pressure = . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
January 2021, Paper 1, Q8(a) (1 mark): Give a reason why the student does not start the y-axis scale from zero on either of his graphs. (1)
January 2021, Paper 1, Q8(b) (3 marks): Describe the relationships shown by the graphs. (3)
January 2021, Paper 1, Q8(c) (2 marks): Explain why the value of temperature chosen in the simulation should not decrease below – 273 °C. (2)
January 2021, Paper 1, Q8(d)(i) (1 mark): Using the curve of best fit on graph 2, determine the mean speed of a gas particle when the gas temperature is 100 °C. (1) mean speed = m/s
January 2021, Paper 1, Q8(d)(ii) (3 marks): The mass of a single gas particle is 5.3 × 10–26 kg. Calculate the average kinetic energy of a gas particle when the temperature of the gas is 100 °C. (3) kinet
January 2021, Paper 1, Q8(d)(iii) (1 mark): Calculate the temperature of the gas in kelvin when its temperature is 100 °C. (1) temperature = K
January 2021, Paper 1, Q8(d)(iv) (2 marks): On the axes, sketch a graph of the average kinetic energy of the gas particles against temperature in kelvin. (2) Average kinetic energy 0 0 Temperature in K
January 2021 (R), Paper 1, Q4(a) (1 mark): The volume of the gas is kept constant by the flask. The volume of the gas is a control variable. State why it is important to keep a control variable constant
January 2021 (R), Paper 1, Q4(b)(i) (2 marks): Explain how these results show that there is a linear, but not proportional, relationship between the pressure of the gas and its temperature in °C. (2)
January 2021 (R), Paper 1, Q4(b)(ii) (2 marks): Use the graph to determine the value for absolute zero. (2) temperature = °C
January 2021 (R), Paper 1, Q4(b)(iii) (3 marks): Explain how the pressure of the gas changes as its temperature increases. Include ideas about particles in your answer. (3)
January 2021 (R), Paper 1, Q4(c)(i) (4 marks): Calculate the pressure of the gas when its temperature is 340 °C. Assume the gas has a constant volume. (4) pressure = kPa
January 2021 (R), Paper 1, Q4(c)(ii) (1 mark): The volume of the gas is constant in the investigation. Give the name of the other quantity that must be constant for the calculation to be correct. (1)
January 2021 (R), Paper 1, Q7(a)(i) (2 marks): Describe the relationship shown by the graph. (2)
January 2021 (R), Paper 1, Q7(a)(v) (3 marks): When a bubble is at the top of the glass, the pressure of the gas in the bubble is equal to 101 000 Pa and the bubble has a volume of 0.084 cm3. Calculate the v
November 2020, Paper 1, Q7(b)(i) (3 marks): Explain how the gas particles exert a pressure on the walls of the chamber. (3)
November 2020, Paper 1, Q7(b)(ii) (3 marks): The Tvashtar chamber has the same volume as the Prometheus chamber and contains the same number of molecules of the same type of gas. The temperature of the gas
November 2020, Paper 1, Q7(b)(iii) (3 marks): Explain why the pressure inside the chambers increases when the temperature increases. Use ideas about particles in your answer. (3)
November 2020, Paper 1, Q7(b)(iv) (3 marks): Explain why the particles from the Tvashtar chamber reach a greater maximum height than the particles from the Prometheus chamber. (3)
November 2020 (R), Paper 1, Q13(a)(i) (1 mark): Calculate the temperature of the air in the flask in kelvin. (1) temperature = K
November 2020 (R), Paper 1, Q13(a)(ii) (2 marks): Describe how the motion of the molecules in the flask changes when the temperature of the air inside the flask increases. (2)
November 2020 (R), Paper 1, Q13(a)(iii) (1 mark): The pressure of the air in the flask does not change when the temperature of the air increases. State what happens to the number of air molecules in the flask w
November 2020 (R), Paper 1, Q13(b) (4 marks): Photograph 2 shows a boiled egg, without its shell, placed in the top of the conical flask containing hot air. The flask is no longer being heated. The egg seal
January 2020, Paper 1, Q7(a) (1 mark): Diagram 2 shows the pressure gauge when the piston is at its initial position. 30 20 40 10 50 kPa 0 60 © Lubos Chlubny/Shutterstock Diagram 2 Determine the read
January 2020, Paper 1, Q7(b) (3 marks): The piston is pushed in so that the volume of trapped air in the syringe is halved. The temperature of the trapped air remains constant. Explain how the reading
January 2020, Paper 1, Q7(c)(i) (1 mark): State how the motion of air particles inside the syringe changes when the air is cooled. (1)
January 2020, Paper 1, Q7(c)(ii) (3 marks): Explain how the pressure of the trapped air inside the syringe changes when the air is cooled. Refer to particles in your answer. (3)
January 2020 (R), Paper 1, Q11(a) (3 marks): Explain, in terms of particles, why the pressure of the air inside the glass jar decreases. (3)
January 2020 (R), Paper 1, Q11(b) (3 marks): Before the rubber sheet is pulled down, the air inside the jar is at atmospheric pressure. The volume of gas inside the jar increases from 110 cm3 to 140 cm3. C
January 2020 (R), Paper 1, Q11(c) (3 marks): The jar is sealed, but the balloons are open to the atmosphere. Before the rubber sheet is pulled down, the air inside the balloons is at atmospheric pressure.
June 2019, Paper 1, Q11(b)(i) (3 marks): Explain, in terms of particles, why the pressure of the trapped gas increases. (3)
June 2019, Paper 1, Q11(b)(ii) (4 marks): The pressure of the trapped gas in the manometer is 9.95 x 104 Pa and the temperature is 16°C. Calculate the new pressure of the trapped gas if the temperature
June 2019 (R), Paper 1, Q4(a)(ii) (1 mark): State what happens to the average speed of the water molecules as the water is heated. (1)
June 2019 (R), Paper 2, Q8(a)(iv) (2 marks): Using ideas about molecules, explain why the trapped air heats up. (2)

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